


A Dragon's New Journey

by kittyface27



Series: Dragon Works [8]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Angsty Ace, Drama, Fantasy, Gen, He's not having it, M/M, No Smut, Over Powered Character, Rejection, Romance, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Tags to be added, a dragon by accident, ace dragon form is massive, ace is a badass, ace is a butterball, anger management problems, cranky Ace, dorky ace, dragon - Freeform, fateful game of dodgeball, fuck you Teach, he cant help it, human dragon hybrid, inflated pride, people are mean to Ace, spade pirates - Freeform, the only of his kind, the spades are actually really fun people, whitebeards kidnap Ace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 74,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27622885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: When the very prideful water dragon Ace and the Spades are taken by the Whitebeards against their will, well, a dragon won't put up with that! But will things eventually change? Will he accept them, or attack them? Will he manage to shove his inflated pried aside or make them enemies? How will he adapt, used to being afraid and feeling alone, when people offer to actually want him?
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Portgas D. Ace, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Portgas D. Ace & Thatch, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Portgas D. Ace, Portgas D. Ace & Thatch, Portgas D. Ace & Whitebeard Pirates, Spade Pirates & Portgas D. Ace
Series: Dragon Works [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982363
Comments: 73
Kudos: 240





	1. Undesirable New Situation

**Just finished posting another fic, so he is it's replacement! I have seven other stories I'm sitting on, a chunk of them all crossovers but many regular ones or aus. I'll warn everyone: Ace can be cranky as hell in this one with a bad attitude, though there's a reason he acts this way. There will be romance later on, but pretty later on. I also have another one shot associated with this one about Ace's past that I'll put up when the time is right. So, enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was exhausted. He laid on the rocky ground, trying to catch his breath and make his best attempt to stand up on his own. His crew shouted his name in worry, and he started to tell them he was okay, but might need help, when he heard them shouting in alarm. Ace really didn't want to deal with anything else, wanted to eat and sleep after five straight days of fighting Jinbei.

So, when he looked up to see what his crew was so worried about, he saw the massive ship belonging to the man he wanted to take down, with silhouettes of pirates standing on the figurehead. He growled and stood up as best as he could. His ears were ringing from being punched in the head, so he couldn't hear what Whitebeard was saying much until he shook his head a bit.

But what he could tell was that the man was looking at him condescendingly. It made the partial dragon angry, to be looked at like that from _anybody,_ even someone like Whitebeard. He kept snarls in, controlling his bad temper when people looked down on him. And not just because the captain was fucking _huge._

But, Ace was larger if he was in dragon form, as long as part of him was in the water. But he didn't change, not wanting to give himself away. There was nothing like Ace in the world, and this guy didn't need to know about that, even if dragon form would possibly help him fight better. For a short period time on land.

So when Whitebeard said he'd beat up Ace's crew, his second family, he got really angry and had the energy flood in him to stand up, though he was exhausted and starving. He could really use a sea king right now. He got even angrier when Whitebeard easily threw his crew around by not even touching them!

He recognized conqueror's haki when he saw it. He felt like trying his against him, just to see how strong he was. He hid a grin, but then saw the man glance again at his crew, who were making a valiant effort to stand, even if they were shaking a bit in fear. Ace didn't look down or was disappointed in them for that.

If Ace was smart and not so prideful, he'd be shitting his pants, too. But Ace never ran, _ever._ No matter if it was smarter to run. He'd always been like that. Ace's eyes widened suddenly and he let out a burst of conqueror's haki. Whitebeard only showed a miniscule wobble, and Ace smirked. He looked a bit irate at this, and Ace started to lose his smirk. But he did hear Whitebeard's crew sounding surprised at it. Ace knew his wasn't that good at traveling a long distance, since he rarely used it, seeing it as a way to cheat in a fight.

"Fire fence!" Ace shouted, finally really taking it seriously when he saw Whitebeard was not smiling anymore. He formed a wall of fire between himself and his crew. He wouldn't let them get hurt because Ace refused to run.

"Ace! Captain Ace, what are you doing!"

"Run away, you guys!"

Whitebeard looked surprised, and asked in a haughty voice, "What's the matter? So you are running after all?" Ace glared, and said he was letting his crew escape. Ace may be a prideful dragon that didn't make friends too easily, but he was close to his crew. They were the only people other than Luffy and Sabo that knew about what he was.

It was kind of hard to explain why he liked to go on swims in the New World when he had a devil fruit. Being part water dragon had let him not be affected by water like every other devil fruit user. If he hadn't been able to swim anymore, he would have been quite miserable. Being in water was much nicer than on land.

"If you let them get away, I'll stay and fight!" Ace shouted, while his crew yelled for him not to do it. If Ace's pride and ambition had ended up in the death of his crew, he would have never forgiven himself.

Whitebeard laughed. "You snot-nosed brat" - Ace held in another snarl at the utter _disrespect_ \- "How cheeky you are!" Ace glared at him, doing his best to stay in control, stay calm. His crew, he could hear, were quietly worrying about him exposing himself to the yonko. But Ace didn't, and attacked, throwing flames at Whitebeard's face.

He was easily cut across the chest, blood spraying everywhere. But, he didn't falter. Even if it hurt, he didn't fall, and attacked again. He got sliced over and over, all across the front of his body, and was bleeding heavily.

Any normal or smart person would have realized that it was bad to bleed so heavily. But finally, when he was sliced across the thigh from the huge bisento that was coated in haki, he fell, grumbling and trying to pick himself up again, only to fall flat, bleeding onto the ground. He finally stopped moving, taking deep breaths around the pain he was feeling.

But he finally realized, with humiliation and self-disgust, that he couldn't beat the giant human. Even if he was a full human. Even if Ace changed right now, it'd be pointless, and he'd probably end up making his wounds worse by the skin stretching to become bigger. He mumbled under his breath, "So, this is the man whose strength rivaled _his."_

He had enough energy to glare up at the other captain, and did his absolute best to stand, and he did, only he felt light headed and felt himself sway, even though he stayed as alert as he could. Luckily, his fire wall was still up. But he could tell his crew hadn't followed his order and had stayed.

Usually he'd be irritated that they didn't follow an order, but he knew he'd do the same thing if he was one of them. They were too close to have them just abandon him, even if it cost them their own safety. He stayed conscious as long as he could, for his fire wall would fall if he passed out.

"Still some fight left in you?" he said in amusement, looking down at Ace. "You are too valuable to let die now, boy."

Ace's whole body went rigid. He heard his crew fall silent as well. Did Whitebeard know about him being a dragon? He couldn't. He had made absolutely sure he hadn't used any of it during the fight. But it still worried him greatly. He clenched his teeth, staring up at the man in rage. "If you still want to run wild, run as wild as you want on the sea under my name."

This time, Ace was absolutely offended. He wasn't a wild dragon, and it was a complete insult. He was part human and part dragon, but not _wild._ But he had a feeling that he was wrong and Whitebeard didn't know about him. Instead, he reached his hand down with a huge grin. "Become my son!"

"Screw you!" he shouted, but finally fell unconscious, falling flat on his face.

Ace suddenly opened his eyes and shot up, only to wince at the pain in his chest. Well, everywhere. He was sore everywhere. Before he realized he was in a bed, he looked down at his body to see all of the deep wounds had stitches. By the look of them, they hadn't been done just a little bit ago.

He finally took in his surroundings, finding he was in a storage room with a bed that was not on his own ship. He stood up, putting his shirt on, which had seemed to be bleached to get the red out of, so now it was an ugly, muted yellow. But he didn't care about that much and looked around for his hat, finding it on the dresser.

The half-dragon sighed, glad it was with him, wherever he was now. Luffy had given it to him as a gift, so it was important to him. He opened the door and found it led outside. Already, just from the feel of the swaying, he knew he was on a ship, and definitely not his own. He saw he couldn't see any island, at least from the direction he was facing. He went to the railing and looked down.

If he wanted, he could just swim away, but it would no doubt rip the stitches and put him in a bind. Plus, he couldn't take his crew in that way. God, he hoped they were okay. He sat against the railing, thankful he had no wounds on his back. He looked back down at the wounds peppering his front. He was proud he'd made it that far, to fight while this injured, though he hadn't been close to a match in human form.

Perhaps as a dragon he could have. Honestly, he could have been so underhanded to grab the man and toss him into the ocean since he was a normal devil fruit user. He was near enough to water to change safely, if he got there before he suffocated. But that would have been cheating to the max, and would have wounded his already sensitive pride.

He looked up when a man approached him, with a whole white outfit and ridiculous hairstyle. It looked like a loaf of bread was protruding from his hairline. "Hey, I'm the fourth division commander, Thatch. If you join, we should be friends," Thatch said. Ace gave him a look over, not seeing anything special about him. He didn't carry a weapon, meaning he wasn't worried Ace would attack him.

But, he was a leader on the ship, so he was probably strong in _some_ aspect. "Shut up!" Ace shouted. Thatch laughed.

"So you're grumpy when you wake up?" he asked in amusement that made Ace very angry. He hated being laughed at. He wanted respect, damnit! His crew was allowed to tease him, but because they were friends, his pack. He'd attacked others more than once for being rude to him. Not minor things, like bumping into him without apologizing.

Or bad service from a restaurant. It was when other pirates or marines did something disrespectful.

"Oh yeah, you wanna know what happened after you passed out?" Thatch asked. "Your crew came to get you back, so we beat the hell out of them-"

Ace was up in an instant and punched Thatch so hard in the face he flew backwards. His nose was bleeding and broken, clearly. He sat up and was looking at Ace in shock. They probably thought he was physically weak without his devil fruit. But the action made some of his stitches tear. Blood dripped from his chest and onto the deck.

"Oh wow, you pack a hard punch! But your crew is on this ship, no need to worry, we didn't kill them or anything," Thatch said perfectly normally, like Ace hadn't just broken his nose. "Well, I think you broke my nose and tore your stitches, so you should come with me to the infirmary." Ace was surprised by the reaction, but didn't want to go anywhere with him.

"Fuck off," Ace grumbled and walked away, still out on deck. He left Thatch, who had stood up, and didn't seem angry at all. Ace didn't understand, and it annoyed him. Maybe a broken arm or leg would make him wary of Ace, or at least take him as a threat. He was irate with the fact he had injured the man yet he still acted like Ace was weak and harmless. He was anything but.

The cut to his stitches was from a small one that wasn't too deep, so he wasn't concerned. He just wiped the blood off with his hand and then wiped his hands on his shorts. They were black, so it wouldn't show.

He wanted to see his crew, but he had no idea where they were on the ship, and partly didn't want to see them until they were fixed up. But, he was their captain and he'd failed to protect them, even though they broke the order _more_ by trying to save Ace once he was unconscious.

-x-

Marco was walking down the hall to check on the stubborn brat before he found he was no longer in his room. The sheets were a mess and the door was partly open. It was one of the only rooms that led outside as well, since it was originally a storage room that now had a bed in it.

He had to admit, he respected Firefist Ace as much as he thought he was crazy. He'd fought with a valiant effort while seriously injured and dripping with blood. And he didn't give up, his wounds just made him pass out. He'd gotten so many stitches he'd be unable to fight for weeks. They had to put him in seastone cuffs to give him stitches while he was unconscious.

He ran into Thatch, who was holding a bloody nose, heading in the direction of the infirmary, whistling. "Thatch, what happened?" Marco asked in surprise. Thatch laughed.

"Kid really packs a punch," he said happily. "He broke my nose with one punch! Though he tore some of his stitches. I'm going to get my nose fixed. Haven't had a broken bone in forever." He was perfectly happy with being injured. Marco would be angry if he had his nose broken. But that meant Ace was fast and strong, without just his devil fruit.

He asked where he'd seen him last, and Thatch said he was still out on deck. Marco nodded and headed outside before easily seeing the small trail of blood. He followed it, holding a sandwich for the kid. The five day fight with Jinbei made it clear he hadn't eaten in days. Maybe hadn't even had any water. Jinbei told them that Ace was strong and had a temper, based on what he'd seen. He was offended easily, even when Jinbei wasn't trying to be insulting.

A powerful kid with a bad temper and devil fruit might be a problem, but Pops wanted to keep him, thought he was interesting and would fit in. It didn't seem that way now, but Pops was rarely, if ever, wrong about someone joining. Usually they all gave in eventually, though not in defeat. They realized it was nice here.

Granted, beating the shit out of Ace's crew might not have been the best, but they'd been trying to protect their captain, which Marco could respect. They just chose the wrong crew to attack. The Spades weren't weak, but they were nothing compared to the Whitebeard commanders and much of the underlings.

He found Ace standing near the railing, arms resting on the wood. He looked over at Marco's direction before Marco had even come into sight. He must have haki, since he had conqueror's haki, which only made everyone more curious about him. He could be a powerful asset to the crew. Marco walked closer, and handed Ace the plate with a sandwich on it.

"You were fighting for five days straight and then three days unconscious. You must be starving," Marco said simply. Ace glared at him and took the sandwich before eating it like a starving animal, which was half true. He probably wanted more food, but it was near dinner time.

He doubted Ace would eat with them all, and would probably eat out on deck or in his room. "So, you punched Thatch in the nose?" he asked conversationally. Ace ignored him, and just kept staring out at the ocean, a bored look on.

Marco thought he wasn't going to respond, but did after a long moment of silence. "He told me you beat up my crew. What would you have done?" he asked in an angry voice.

Marco said, "I would have probably done the same. You're lucky Thatch is so laid back or someone else might have retaliated."

"I could take 'em," Ace grumbled, and Marco raised an eyebrow. He looked offended, even though Marco didn't see anything offensive about his comment. Jinbei _had_ said he got offended easily. That could be difficult to deal with when the crew teased one another mercilessly. Marco started to leave, and said, "Attacking us isn't the best way to do things. Just saying."

When he was leaving, he heard a snarl come from him, though it was quiet. Marco raised his brows, but didn't turn around. His temper might be a problem, but hopefully he'd get over it. They weren't going to let him see his crew, though. Not until he got used to being on the ship. Or even better, maybe the Spades would convince him to stay.

The Whitebeards weren't cruel, so they didn't think the Spades would hate them, since they took care of their captain. He wondered what kind of captain Ace was if he was so reactive. But then again, Thatch had told him they'd beat the shit out of his own crew. And Ace was right, it would piss anyone off to have their friends beaten up.

He went inside to see Pops and let him know what had happened, and perhaps talk to the Spades, see if they could get any information out of them. He found Pops in the infirmary, talking to Thatch while he had a check up. So he already knew.

Despite his nose being plugged, Thatch sounded perfectly happy. He was always forgiving, and sounded like he wanted to be friends with Ace even if he had broken his nose. It just made Thatch more determined to be friends. Marco didn't need to say anything, and instead left the infirmary to find the room the Spades were staying in at the moment.

They weren't mistreated and were given food. Marco entered the room to see them speaking or lounging on the beds. They still had bruises and bandages on, but Ace had been a lot more injured than any of them had been. They looked up and glared at Marco before returning to what they had been doing.

"I have a question about Ace," he said simply. "We want him to join the crew. Is there a way you know how we can?" He knew it was a long shot to ask them for help to disassemble their own crew, but he hoped they'd say something. But he was surprised when many of them started laughing.

The first mate said, "Good luck with that one," in an amused voice. Marco frowned at their reactions. And annoyed that they laughed at the effort to add a new member to their family. They weren't going to hurt any of them, just wanted to be friends. It got off to a rocky start. A very rocky start, but at least he'd punched Thatch and not someone else who would have been very angry.

"Is something funny?" he asked in an irate voice.

The one with blue hair and a mask (they didn't know any of their names yet) said, "Ace doesn't make friends easily. You're _his_ friend, he's not _yours._ " Marco frowned, and pointed out how he had all of them. They weren't a tiny crew, but they weren't extremely large. "And you think we asked to be on his crew? We joined because he wanted us."

Marco frowned, and the guy reiterated, "He didn't force us to join. He may be testy and have a temper, but he's not cruel to his friends. I don't know what you expected to happen." He went back to his book, but Marco had more questions.

"How old is he?" They shrugged, and Marco was confused that they didn't know the age of their own captain and friend. He asked a different question, and questioned, "So, he's easily offended?"

The one with a turban laughed. "That's one way to say it," he replied in amusement. "He's got too much pride for his own good." Marco frowned, and wondered if they'd come into trouble because of that pride. Did he snap and hurt his own crew if they insulted him? Did he reign over them like a king? If so, they didn't want him.

"Does he hurt you if you insult him?" They all erupted in anger, so Marco knew that was _not_ the case. So, his own friends were allowed to tease and insult, but others weren't. Sounded reasonable, since that was how the Whitebeards were. No one but each other disrespected them. Even the leaders, since Marco was "bird brain" all the time from everyone.

"When can we see him?" the largest one asked, a dark face on.

"Once he's used to the ship. He'll try and leave if he has you guys with him," Marco replied, and they shook their heads. "What?" Marco asked. Did they have a better idea how to handle this or fix it before too much had happened for Ace to ever trust them?

Already, he'd attacked Thatch. Even though the chef didn't seem to mind, Marco didn't think everyone would be very happy about that. And if his pride was inflated, that probably meant he was ballsy and would still do things Pops didn't like. Even though Pops had ripped him apart pretty badly, he had continued to fight, and was against joining.

He was very angry when Pops nicely told him to become his son. It hadn't been a scary order, but an offer. Though, when he declined, he was still taken aboard, so that probably looked pretty bad to him. Maybe it was a really bad way to start off. But could he have gained their trust if they just tried being allies or friendly first, instead of kidnapping him?

Well, they couldn't change the past, and could only try to move on to be better.

"We just told you he doesn't make friends easily. Wouldn't you be angry and upset if your crew was separated from you and were instead surrounded by people you don't know or like? Besides, you took our ship from us. You're really lucky that he had his locket with him. If not, he'd set this ship on fire to burn everyone inside."

Marco was shocked with that, but asked what was in the locket. "Photos of his family. He doesn't talk about them much," the first mate said. They hadn't burned down the ship. It was stationed back at the protected island, which had a town on it that let ships stay there. So their ship was unharmed.

Once they agreed to join, they'd go back and get their stuff. "We didn't burn down your ship. Once you guys assimilate, we'll go back and get your belongings. We aren't the bad guys here," Marco told them honestly. They all gave him a deadpanned look. Marco knew what they were conveying. If they weren't the bad guys, then who was?

In their opinion, the Whitebeards abused and took them from their home. Well, things would change. They'd make Ace agree to join. Not by true force, but would stay out at sea until Ace got used to them and saw they weren't bad guys and would welcome him. As long as he lost the temper by then.

Marco left the room, which was the second division commander's room, so Ace couldn't find them and they had a room big enough for them to all fit. It had multiple mattresses and hammocks. It wasn't the best set up, and was crowded, but they had some space from one another.

Compared to their room, Ace's was shitty. It wasn't even a bedroom, just had a crappy mattress in it. Wasn't exactly comfortable, but he at least had a bed and some privacy. It was getting later, so Thatch was already making dinner, despite the recently broken nose. He was making sautéed chicken with brown rice. It was good, so hopefully Ace would eat it.

When dinner _was_ served, all the talk at the commanders' table was Thatch's broken nose, until Marco took two plates of the food and some water out on deck, where he could tell Ace was. When he went out, he found Ace sleeping on his face. Marco frowned and poked him, but he didn't wake up.

"Ace, oi, Ace," he said. The kid continued to snore, so Marco just put the plates beside him and the water bottle next to his head. He wondered why he was sleeping there, outside and in a spot not safe in his eyes. Maybe he had a medical condition or something. Hopefully he was fine and not sick.

But he sensed him moving before he shoved the plates into the sea after smelling them. Thatch wouldn't like that, but he had to eat, so Marco brought him another sandwich that was just meat and veggies, which he did eat. Then he ignored Marco, who left to eat his own food.

* * *

**As usual, Thatch is the best ever.**


	2. Defiance, Resistance

**Anime_Moon00: Thank you! I had written about the first 20 pages a long time ago and left it alone before I returned and got in the groove. I had a lot of fun writing it and Ace's bad attitude lol.**

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Thank you! I'm happy when people like and notice that all of my stories are never dropped or discontinued. 

#### purpleOPlovers: Thanks! I try to keep my stories varied, but some of the crossovers are similar as they loosely follow the fandom's plot. It's hard getting into a fandom with such a linear story. That's why I love One Piece! So many interesting villains and characters and aren't stuck on one villain for soooo long. You can imagine so many strange things happening on the grand line, so it's so easy to write different types of OP stories!

#### Hiji: Lol a big chunk of my story ideas never go anywhere. I have over 100 pages of random story ideas, so I'm always really happy when I can finish one. I'm glad you like them.

#### Shadow22739: I have more Ace water dragon fics waiting to be posted, all very different I think. I went through another dragon phase lol. Now I'm trying to make stories about this new creature I think made it so cute so I was inspired by it's appearance from another manga. I really hope to finish one of those because the design is so f-ing cute. 

* * *

**I posted another story (surprise, surprise) so check that out! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was thinking. This might be a good thing. Being here, it gave him many chances to off Whitebeard and fulfill his ambition. Even if he'd lost before, he was exhausted from five straight days of battle, starvation and dehydration. So that had to play a factor in his defeat. He also had been in human form, but he wasn't sure anymore if it had been a good idea to not be his strong version. He was bigger and stronger than Whitebeard in dragon form. He would have been faster, heavier, skin stronger. Well, he assumed.

But he was stupid, and hadn't. Though he didn't know if he'd be at peak strength on land, since he was a water dragon. A fire logia who was half water dragon. It was silly. But it worked out alright. After he finished the food and water, he waited out on deck as it got later and darker out. Once the stars were out and the ship was stationary, Ace went to find Whitebeard's room.

He followed the scent down the halls since he had no idea where he was going or where the captain's quarters were. When he did find the area, it was where he could smell Marco and Thatch. Probably the hall of bedrooms for the commanders. He counted that there were sixteen rooms but fifteen people. He also smelled his crew in one of the rooms.

He hid his presence and quietly slipped into the captain's room, staring at him angrily before lighting on fire and pulling the dagger from his leg, and rushing at the man, ready to stab him. Only he was catapulted out of the room and through the window, landing in the water. Did the guy just chuck a devil fruit user into the ocean?

Well, he was glad he had an excuse to be in the water. Someone would probably come get him to "save" him. But, he did have a good position to sink the ship by sinking his claws into it and causing massive flooding. But he didn't want to hurt his crew. And he knew where they were now. Locked in a commander's room.

He'd pretend he didn't know they were there. Though he could do nothing to get them off the ship. Perhaps if he had a ship and some chains, he could pull it while swimming underwater. He did that once with Luffy, and it had worked. Though the boat was flimsy and broke. But he'd been there to rescue his little brother.

Ace let himself sink deeper, pretending to hold his breath while breathing in water through his nose. His lungs were like gills, not shown outwardly. Finally, someone appeared, and he made sure to keep his body limp. It was a fishman he hadn't seen before.

He was grabbed by the wrist and pulled up to break the surface and spit out all the water in his lungs now that he was in the air. The fishman was holding him around the waist and dragged him up a rope ladder. Ace missed the ocean now. Well, he'd start doing regular swims, like he did on his own ship. He'd just had to do it so no one saw him.

If they saw him, they might think he'd tried to kill himself, and if he came back it would be incredibly suspicious. So he'd just not get caught. But, he'd torn multiple stitches. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to assassinate him while he was still injured. He'd wait.

He was dumped on the deck and pretended to be catching his breath, even though he could breathe just fine. Marco was there, looking at him in disapproval, making the half dragon bristle at the condescending look. He stood up and stomped past him. Whitebeard wasn't even out there. Maybe he didn't care after all, not that Ace really did either.

If the only way to get off this ship was to kill the captain, well, then that was his new goal.  
"Ace-" Marco started, but Ace told him to "shut the fuck up and leave me alone" before leaving to go to his shitty little room. He didn't want anyone coming in, and so he took the blanket and tied it around the doorknob and to the wall.

With the other door, he shoved the crates in front of it. He wanted alone time, not to be bothered by anybody. He had lost his dagger, or maybe it was in Whitebeard's room. He ended up sleeping, no longer wet from heating himself up to evaporate the water. It was quiet, and no one tried barging into his room.

In the morning, however, the door was opened when the door knob was broken from the other side. Ace woke to it, and a loud, "Morning, sunshine! I brought you breakfast." It was Thatch. Ace ignored him but took the food and started eating with his back to the man. He didn't pay attention to what he was eating. It was plain, unflavored food and that was good enough.

"I heard about your attempt last night," Thatch said conversationally. "How'd you find that hallway? And there's no one there right now if you want to go see your crew." Ace looked surprised at him, and Thatch winked. "Our little secret. I don't think keeping you from seeing them will help make you like us.

"But, alas, Marco makes the big decisions. And I'm sorry for flippantly telling you we beat the shit out of your crew. All they have are minor bruises that have faded already," Thatch explained. Ace shoveled the food into his mouth and then pushed past Thatch, though moving so he didn't shove into him, and hurried to the scent of his crew.

He ran into no one, since everyone was at breakfast. He found the door and opened it, slipping inside. He grinned when he saw his crew. "Ace!" Mihar shouted happily. Then he looked at Ace's body. "Oh, wow," he said.

Deuce got up and immediately looked him over. Some of the many stitches had ripped, but the wounds had been close to healing already. The stitches had helped, but his own healing rate was pretty fast. Deuce hugged him and Ace patted his back with a grin. Deuce had been the first person to join him.

"Are you guys being treated alright?" he asked, looking them all over and seeing none of them were injured like Ace had been. A few bruises but nothing big, and clearly no broken bones. Ducky Bree nodded, and explained that they were just confined in there. It was lucky there was a bathroom attached, even if it was tiny.

Saber bowed, surprising Ace. "Captain, I'm sorry but we gave Marco some information about you. Just that you have a temper and aren't going to join them. Nothing about the other stuff." Ace smiled at him.

"It's fine, I'm not mad," Ace said, and sat down on the floor, grinning at his family being okay. Not starved or abused. Just stuck in one room. Saber asked how he found them. "I tried killing Whitebeard last night. Didn't go too well, but I smelled all you guys in here on my way."

Aggie asked, "Is that what the huge crashing noise was?" Ace nodded and told them he had been thrown out the window and into the ocean. None were upset, since Ace made it clear he enjoyed swimming immensely. It was relaxing for him. "But, how did you not get caught coming here?"

Ace frowned, and said, "Thatch told me no one was around here and he didn't think separating us was the best idea." The others said they weren't surprised. Thatch had apparently been giving them updates on how Ace was doing throughout the days. "It's weird, isn't it? He wasn't even angry when I broke his nose."

A couple of the others snorted, not at all surprised. Thatch seemed like a good guy. Ace sighed, his demeanor completely changing. "I'm sorry, guys. I couldn't protect you. I should have just shifted and ended them that way," he lamented. They insisted he wasn't at fault, and if he hadn't been exhausted and injured he could have possibly won.

"I wanted to kill him anyway, even before the fight with Jinbei. My second ambition put you all at risk. My _pride_ put you all at risk. I know it's too inflated, but I can't help it. It's a part of me, y'know?" Ace said quietly.

Saber sighed and replied, "We know it's not in your control. It's natural, right? And usually your pride doesn't get us into trouble. You're strong enough to beat anyone who gets under your skin." Ace sighed, still feeling guilty. "Do you know what they did with the PoS?" PoSwas short for Piece of Spadile. It was a joke to call it a PoS which also meant piece of shit.

Finamore said that Marco told them it was waiting back at the island. "He said once we agree to join, we'll get our belongings back. The ship isn't burned down or anything. Thankfully." Ace let out a sigh of relief. Their home was safe and waiting for them. But the Whitebeards were way too sure they'd join.

Ace was a free spirit and wouldn't be an underling to anybody. Even if Whitebeard was the best, strongest, kindest person in the world, Ace was a captain, not an underling. Even if he was an authority figure on this ship (not that he wanted to be) it still wouldn't sit right with him. Ace was looking truly depressed before Deuce spoke.

"Since these pirates don't seem like they'll kill us, why don't you have fun trying to kill the captain? It was your second ambition, right?" He had a smirk on. Ace scoffed and pointed out what had happened last night. "Surely there are other tactics you could take. Without truly going out and exposing yourself to everyone."

Ace chuckled, and shook his head. "I guess I could. It'd be fun to try and make up some plans. Test myself. But I don't really think I can win without being at least partially my other form. I don't feel like exposing myself to a yonko crew with a shit ton of allies to hunt after me."

Mihar pointed out that that would happen if he ever succeeded in killing the yonko. Ace chuckled and agreed. "It just wouldn't be them hunting you for a real reason. And if you could take Whitebeard down, I have full faith any of his allies would not stand a chance."

Ace smiled and talked with his friends, not really about anything in their current situation. They had a pack of cards given to them to distract themselves from boredom, so they played some poker, being quite loud. Surely people had to know Ace was in there by now. But no one came, which Ace was happy about. He was glad his crew was not seriously harmed by their initial encounter with the pirates.

There was a knock on the bedroom door, and no one answered it. The door was locked, and they didn't want to deal with the Whitebeards. But the knocking was insistent. So, Ace finally answered it. It was Marco.

He started speaking immediately. "Since you were part of the problem, you need to help repair Pops' wall," he said. Ace crossed his arms.

"In case you forgot, he's the one who threw a devil fruit user into the ocean for three minutes," Ace said coldly. He'd kept count of his time underwater, since he didn't really need to think about anything else since he was breathing just fine. Marco immediately said, "That was an accident. You're the one that tried to kill him in his sleep."

Ace huffed, not liking Marco talking down to him like this. He didn't reply, but Thatch walked past, carrying a sheet of glass and wood. "Are you the shipwright, Ace?" he asked. Ace shook his head, brows furrowed. "Well, since you're strong will you help me lug more shit up from the workshop?"

So far, Ace approved of the way Thatch spoke to him. He hadn't talked to many others on the crew, but those he had encountered (which were few) clearly thought that he was young and weak willed since they were all sure he'd join.

And despite Ace's angry and defiant demeanor sometimes, he wasn't an inherent asshole. He thought for a moment before agreeing to help Thatch. Marco was confused, clearly not knowing why his approach hadn't worked and Thatch's had. So, Ace went down with him to the lowest level to get wood planks and other tools. The shipwrights would be fixing it up.

Ace easily carried 150 pounds of wood above his head. He'd been thrown so hard that some of the wall had broken when the thick windows had been forced outward. "You know, you can try all you want, but I don't think you're gonna be able to kill Pops," Thatch said conversationally. It clearly showed he wasn't worried about Ace's ability to harm the captain. But, he didn't look down on Ace.

Thatch was weird. Ace couldn't figure him out. First, Ace broke his nose and he laughed about it. Then he goes against orders to tell Ace that he could see his crew when no one was around. It was weird and threw him off. "We'll see. I'll just come up with a different plan," Ace replied simply. They were both lighthearted, like they weren't talking about murdering someone Thatch cared about.

Ace asked, awkwardly, "How's your nose?"

"It was a clean break, so it'll go back to its original shape in no time. I'm not mad, I've had it broken plenty of times before," Thatch replied. Ace frowned, but looked ahead. When he and Thatch entered the room, Ace found the slew of people working on repairing the ruined wall and window.

Whitebeard was there, and looked at Ace and laughed. "You cheeky brat, I won't die so easily," he said in amusement. Ace narrowed his eyes and set the supplies down before he left the room and went outside. Deuce followed after him, and they went out to the figurehead.

Ace sat down, and Deuce sat next to him. "How about you go on a swim tonight and I'll keep watch?" It sounded like a great idea, Ace needed to swim, in his dragon form. They were definitely in deep enough water for him to be able to dive out of sight from the surface. He was irate with the Whitebeards. They kidnapped them and constantly degraded Ace. They might not realize it, but every look he was given besides Thatch's was of some sort of way that offended Ace.

He was sensitive. He didn't like saying it like that, but hating anyone looking down on him to the point of getting so furious his face was red was really unnecessary. But he knew it was different for him than regular dragons and regular humans. Dragons were never disrespected, they were to be feared and awed at. Ace had the same feelings they did, only he wasn't given respect like a normal dragon would get.

He was trapped, not belonging in either world. Dragons didn't accept him and he couldn't be himself with most humans. It was kind of lonely, to be the only one of his kind that he knew of. His situation had just been too complicated to be common.

It was going to be a long day.

-x-

"How are you doing that?" Marco demanded Thatch in the hallway leading to the library. Thatch looked confused. "How are you being friends with Ace?" he clarified. Thatch looked confused before he started laughing and pointing at Marco.

"You're jealous cause Ace doesn't hate me!" Marco hit his arm, and said he was serious. Thatch wiped the unnecessary tears away and then grinned. He shrugged, and Marco took a deep breath to not get too angry. But, he finally, calmly and politely asked Thatch for advice.

Thatch furrowed his brows. "Is it really that hard to be kind and understanding?" He sounded genuinely confused. "How would you feel if you were kidnapped and separated from your family? Wouldn't you be upset and scared, too?" Marco's face relaxed, he wasn't scowling anymore. "I want to be his friend. He seems closed off and testy - I mean, he broke my nose - so I'm trying to make him feel welcome. I don't usually talk bad about Pops, but laughing at Ace seems to be a big no-no and Pops did that to his face.

"I just think everybody is going about it the wrong way. He's not a prisoner or criminal, we want him to be family. Does family laugh at one another when they fail? Like, in a mean way?" Marco's face fell and he looked down at the floor. Thatch was right. They really weren't treating him how they should.

Marco was cold and impatient with him. He was a teenager, at least looked like one, and was somewhere unfamiliar. Wouldn't it be common sense to treat him right and with empathy? And looking back at the beginning… Pops might have already blown it with Ace. He didn't seem like he'd be the forgiving type. At least, so far.

It was after the confrontation that he learned Ace was sensitive for being disrespected and had pride. Pops laughed at him, made fun of him. And then after that, he told Ace to be his son. Who would want to be the son of someone who degraded them? Sure, Ace wanted to take his head, but the whole time, Pops hadn't taken him seriously until that small burst of untamed haki.

After that, the yonko went easy on Ace, giving him small cuts until he was bleeding so badly he passed out. He put his face in his hand. "Fuck," he said simply. Thatch nodded and patted his shoulder.

"We haven't had a new guy in a couple years, and never one so young. We're all rusty, I'm just doing my best to adapt. I think everyone should. But, I can't make anybody act how I am. I can only hope they will catch on. Now, I gotta go make lunch," Thatch said with a smile. Marco heard him whistle as he made his way to the kitchen to start lunch.

Marco went to Pops' room and asked for him to speak with him in private. Whitebeard followed and the two went to the meeting room. Marco didn't wait to tell Pops what Thatch had told him. As he spoke and pointed out their possible wrongdoings, Pops' brows furrowed until he was looking frustrated.

"Damn," the captain said. "'Cheeky brat' probably didn't help him like me at all."

"Probably not. And catapulting him into the ocean probably didn't help either. Especially since he's a devil fruit user. We both know you could have knocked him out in another way than how you had." The captain looked ashamed, which was a rare sight. "I think we should be frank and upfront with him, instead of giving him hints about what we want for him."

Whitebeard agreed, adding that "I still want to keep him, but I want to do this right. He shows great promise. If we can show him we don't have bad motives, maybe he'll agree to stay." It was clear through his wording, that Pops wasn't going to let him off, which might stoke the flames again. No doubt the kid would demand to know when he was being let off. If Pops still wanted to keep him, Ace would just flame up again and get even angrier.

"Actually, maybe I should talk to him first. You saying you won't let him go might just make everything worse," Marco said, and Pops nodded, his expression sad. So, Marco left and went to find Ace, finding him out on the figurehead with Deuce. "Ehem, Ace?" he asked. The teen turned around and glared at Marco.

"What?" Ace snapped. Completely different than how he addressed Thatch. Marco sat down and apologized.

The phoenix zoan said, "I'm sorry for how rude I've been. And insensitive, and condescending. We want you to join us willingly yet we've mocked you, looked down at you. And Pops has good intentions, wanting you to join with us to be happy. He feels sorry for his behavior as well. I'm… irritated with us, looking back. Why would you ever want to join assholes," he said bitterly. He was genuinely angry with himself.

Ace looked surprised, but not happy. Of course not, Marco had not said he was going to let him off the ship. He turned away from Marco, not saying anything. Deuce spoke, asking why they wanted Ace in the first place.

"Pops was following your escapades in the paper, and we started looking out for you since you seemed like you'd fit in," Marco explained. Ace scoffed, but Marco stayed calm.

"How the fuck do you think I'll fit in when I have never met you? Aren't you making some pretty big assumptions?" he asked bitterly. Marco was so worried they'd _really_ fucked things up and that they were irreparable.

Marco responded with, "Pops is old and has a good eye for people."

Ace said, "And have I fulfilled your expectations? Do I _seem_ like I'd fit in? Maybe Whitebeard was wrong. Have all of you been kidnapped and not let off? Are you all suffering from Stockholm syndrome?" He didn't look, and Deuce said, "Ace, you're going too far."

"No, he's right. But we're all here of our own free will. All of our situations have been different from yours, so I can't really compare, you know? In the end, we've all wanted to join. Honestly, we didn't expect to meet you so soon. It wasn't our plan for things to end up how they did."

Ace finally looked interested and turned around. Deuce seemed curious as well, and Marco was glad he finally was not being ignored immaturely. But he didn't get mad at Ace. Some people deflect by being rude. Ace was uneasy, somewhere he didn't want to be. Marco really wished things had gone to plan. "What do you mean? What was your plan?"

Marco said, "We were having our protected islands keep an eye out for you. And we were going to try and meet you at one of our islands to get to know you and hope you would come. Things kind of ended up in a mess.

"When we heard you were on one island, fighting Jinbei, we saw it as our chance to meet you. But, things fell apart when it turned out you were fresh off an exhausting battle. You were already in a terrible mood and on guard. Pops really didn't mean to come across as condescending, and I admit, he really was. He was excited to finally meet you, got too carried away.

"Everything turned into a mess and instead of trying to get to know you and introduce ourselves, we were giving you a hundred stitches while you were unconscious," Marco finished, sounding completely guilty and ashamed. Because he was. Laying it all out like this really put into perspective how messed up things had gotten and how insensitive they were to the young man. He worried that they'd messed up too badly to repair. "Can we start over?" he asked, trying to not sound too hopeful.

Ace turned away, but didn't seem angry anymore. "You won't want me. I'm too reactive and reckless. Plus, I follow no one. _I'm_ the captain. _I_ make rules and make the final decision on what our next adventure is to be," he said simply. Deuce said nothing. "Besides, I won't ever feel comfortable here."

Marco frowned, looking down. "Why?" he asked.

Ace didn't respond for a moment, but Marco didn't press, hoping he would say something. "My brother said I have trust issues. Maybe he was right," Ace said simply, crossing his legs. Marco asked if they could ever get his trust. "Don't know how you would do that. You're not my friend or family, I'm not gonna spill my guts out to you."

The phoenix frowned. He felt like he was talking to a wall with an attitude. But he could understand his position. To go from a captain of your own crew to taking orders from other people would be a huge demotion. A loss of freedom. "Have you ever had a father?" Marco asked.

"No, and I don't need one," Ace growled, that gutteral sound he'd heard before coming back. Deuce patted his back, and Marco assumed he had parental issues based on how angry he'd become even from the mention of a father. Marco decided it was time to leave, and said, "We'll talk to you later. Pops wants to speak to you, too."

"Whatever," Ace said angrily. Marco, if he didn't already feel guilt and regret, would have been extremely irritated with Ace's behavior. But to him, there was no reason why he should speak to Marco in respect. He sure hadn't earned it, had he? None of them but Thatch had.

He went back to Whitebeard with low spirits. But, he didn't want to give up on Ace. Even though he'd just been a complete brat, Marco could tell he had deepset hurt and anger inside of him. Like how Teach had been, an angry orphan before joining and ending up happy with them.

"How'd it go, son?" Pops asked in the galley, drinking his tea the nurses prescribed. Marco shook his head and his father's face fell.

"Got a lot of information, but I don't think any of it has really helped our standing. I explained, in depth, about where things went wrong, how it differed from our original plan. He said he had trust issues, didn't want to follow someone else, that we wouldn't want him due to reactivity and recklessness. He seems to have father issues, he got really angry when I asked if he'd ever had one.

"Snapped that he didn't need one," Marco finished. Pops sighed heavily, and Thatch heard from the kitchen. Lunch was almost ready, and Thatch told his sous chefs to take over before getting something from the refrigerator and leaving out of the other exit. Marco assumed he was going to go give something to Ace.

Whitebeard finished the rest of his tea, and he looked very frustrated. But not at Ace. "I don't want to give him up. I don't know why, but I just feel like he could fit in, if we wanted to," the captain said.

Marco nodded. "And therein lies the problem. He _doesn't want_ to."


	3. Conflicting Attitudes

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Thatch is perfect forever. I never write Thatch as bad lol. He's always the sweet angel. My plots may differ, but this is a constant lol.

**Guest: The outcome is more complicated than just him deciding to join or not. Hehe.**

**Anime_Moon00: lol My Teach thing in this one ends up being pretty funny tbh.**

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**Longer chapter here! Enjoy~**

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"Sorry, Deuce. I don't like acting like that in front of you guys. I don't mean to act like that, it just happens," Ace said, sitting at the end of the figurehead, looking down at the waves with his legs kicking over the side. To anyone else, he'd look like an idiot. A devil fruit user dangling himself above the ocean of the New World.

Any one wouldn't swim in New World waters, unless they were a water dragon. Ace longed to just slip in silently. "I know, Ace. And you don't need to apologize. You can be an asshole to the rest of the world and be happy with us. We're just glad you don't close on us, too."

Ace grinned at him, feeling warm with just how much his crew liked him, dealing with his mood swings and inflated pride without a single complaint. Sure, they scolded him for doing too reckless things, but that was what family did. The young half-dragon was not a tyrant on his ship. He treasured his friends and treated them with respect, even if the teasing was sometimes merciless. "I miss the PoS," Ace sighed.

Deuce nodded in agreement. Ace laid down on his back, legs still dangling over the side, and put his arms behind his head. "Do you think they'll let us go?" Deuce asked quietly. Ace shook his head.

"I think they'll be tyrants and force us to stay here until we finally submit. But, I'm always the pessimist," Ace replied. Deuce gasped.

"Did you just suggest you don't know everything?" Deuce asked in feigned shock. Ace deadpanned.

"Ha-ha, yes, I'm not perfect. But I'm strong and cool. And a badass."

"Yes, yes, good boy," Deuce said, and both of them laughed. Ace threatened to bite his hand off for his tone, though it was in a voice of good fun. "Then I wouldn't be able to treat all of the wounds you cause yourself."

Ace lost his joking demeanor when he smelled and heard Thatch come up from behind. He had some sort of dessert. "Heard bird brain talked to you. Didn't go too well, so if he fucked it up, here's a peace offering," the chef said, handing Ace a yellow cupcake with white frosting that smelled strongly of sugary lemon. Ace wasn't a fan of sour things, but it was something Thatch was doing to be nice. Well, he wasn't a fan of anything that wasn't in its natural state.

"Uh, thanks," Ace said, and ate the cupcake whole. He hid the look of disgust on his face as the lemon treat reacted to his sensitive taste buds. Ace didn't eat sour or spicy things, they were incredibly unappealing. He faked a smile.

"You hate it, don't you?" Thatch asked sadly.

"I don't really like spicy or sour things," Ace replied, though not in a rude way, just stating a fact. Thatch huffed, but didn't seem angry at Ace. He'd tried to be nice and considerate, but apparently he hadn't acted good enough.

Thatch asked, "Do you like sweet things?" Ace thought about lying, but why do it if he was subjected to Thatch's cooking while here? Forever how long it took for them to get in their thick skulls that Ace didn't want to stay and wasn't going to.

"I don't like sugar in general. Or anything artificially flavored" Ace replied honestly. Thatch seemed dumbfounded. What human didn't like any type of sweets?

"So you don't like sugar, sour or spicy. What else don't you like? Well, what _do_ you like?" he asked. Ace didn't want to list off that he liked only plain food. He was more of a dragon than a human in the taste department. He didn't like the taste of unnatural additives to normal food. He didn't like pepper on his food. He didn't like butter, or any sort of condiment. Basically, he ate things found in nature.

He didn't know what to say, so he just said, "I like plain food."

"Plain…" Ace nodded. "Like, flat food with no seasoning? Nothing to flavor it?" Ace shook his head. "Huh. Well, I'm glad I know now so I don't make you something unappetizing. Cooking with no real flavor will be a first for me, and probably hard, but that's not your fault or anything." Ace stayed silent. "So, dinner is soon. I'll bring it out for all of you. There's no real need for everyone to stay separated anymore," he said. "And I'll make sure Ace's is changed."

"Thanks, Thatch," Deuce said, and the man grinned, only to drop the grin when it hurt his nose. Ace was staring at the sea again, unable to wait for the night to come so he could go on a swim. It was a big ship, and the crows nest did not cover all of the areas. If he dropped down from the back of the ship, he wouldn't be seen.

Deuce pat his back. "I'll keep watch, and I'll make a safe word which means it's safe for you to come up," he said with a grin. Ace gave him a fond smile.

"Sounds like a plan," Ace replied. He and his crew all ate out on the figurehead, since it was so huge they could all fit. Ace had the least flavored food out of everyone who was served, and he was happy with that. And his crew didn't think it was weird. They actually felt sorry for him, that he didn't like fancy food. But he didn't have any problems with it.

After dinner, the group were heading back to their room (which Ace would be staying in now) to have a game plan. "I want your guys' input on this. How do we get off of this ship without any of us dying?" Ace questioned, sitting on one of the mattresses on the floor.

They were quiet, all thinking for a bit. "Based on what happened the first time, and how easily he sent you flying out the window, I think you could get seriously injured by Whitebeard again. We don't want our captain out of commission again," Saber said.

Deuce offered, "We could be completely unlikable. Maybe they'd give up on us if we're bratty enough. Though I think Ace could do that all by himself." Ace shoved his arm, though it wasn't too rough. "You'd have to be mean to Thatch, too, though." Ace looked conflicted about that.

"Or I could just completely ignore him. It would be better than being mean. Besides, I was already an asshole to him and he didn't care. I broke his nose in our first conversation, and he laughed about it," Ace pointed out. And it was a valid point. Ace had a feeling he wouldn't push Thatch away if he tried to be mean. So, he'd ignore him. It would make Ace feel less guilty.

The others nodded, thinking that was the best plan. "Sooner or later they'll get tired of us. Hopefully sooner, but we just have to stay vigilant." The others nodded, though they were mostly looking at Ace, who'd have to do most of it. The Spades had barely any attention paid to them when it wasn't concerning Ace.

Sure, the pirates were polite, but they weren't friends, and they were still kidnappers. And had hurt Ace so badly and then separated them. "I'm going on a swim later tonight. I need to get out of this form. It's feeling stuffy and itchy," Ace explained.

He was going to sleep for a bit until it was the middle of the night and then he'd go for a swim, with Deuce pretending to look out at the ocean, thinking or meditating or something, when he really was keeping tabs on when it would be safe for Ace to come up.

The two napped for a bit before Aggie 68 woke them and pointed to the clock on the wall. Ace yawned and put his boots on, leaving his hat inside. He wasn't going to be wearing it, so why did that matter? Deuce got up, too, and the two snuck out of the room, hiding their presences as best as they could.

They made it out on deck, and snuck past the look out in the crows nest and to the back of the ship where they knew it was out of sight. Ace took his boots off and climbed over the railing and dropped down with a small splash, not audible enough to cause them any trouble.

Ace spent no time before shifting into his full dragon form and diving, torpedoing deeper into the darkness. It felt so good. The weightlessness and soft feeling of cool water all around him. He was large enough to capsize the Moby Dick if he perched on one side. His body was bigger than the ship. His head was bigger than the crows nest and his wingspan eclipsed the ship from one end to the other.

He definitely knew he could take Whitebeard as a dragon, though it would be best if it was in the water. Gravity was against the bulk of water dragons, who couldn't fly in the air. Their bodies weren't like regular dragons, they were much heavier, like whales.

He cruised through the water, deeper and deeper, looking for anything to hunt. He smelled the water and used his hearing to find the loud swooshing sound of large gills in use. A sea king, below him. Meaning it was a big one. The big ones stayed down deep, just like most water dragons didn't venture to the surface, as there was no reason to.

He found the sea king and shot at it before he sunk his huge claws into its body, blood spilling out with the sea king thrashing. It threw Ace off, but didn't deter him from going for an eye, using his back feet's claws to dig into one side of the sea king while his front legs were on the other side before he started to twist, trying to sever its head.

His jaw and bite weren't big enough to bite straight through it, or decapitate it. Since the sea king had no appendages, all it had to fight was its teeth, which Ace evaded easily and finally bit down on it's jugular so it bled out. Ace happily feasted on it, the prey he'd caught. That was always the most satisfying way to eat, something you'd done yourself.

After he was full from the sea king, he swam off further from the Moby Dick, into the endless ocean. He'd be able to find his way back. No sea kings came for him, probably smelling the blood of their own on him, in his mouth. He glided through the water and gradually sloped up and then down.

When he was beginning to get tired, two hours after his swim started, he headed back to the ship. He slapped the water from below, and waited to hear Deuce make two coughs, the signal it was safe to come up. Ace went back to human form and changed his hands into claws and easily ascended the side of the ship. He dried himself up by lighting on fire and then putting his boots on.

"Anything happen?" Deuce shook his head. "I'm stuffed and ready for bed," Ace said and he and Deuce walked back to their room, passing someone they hadn't seen on the way. The moment Ace saw and smelled him, he erupted into uncontrollable snarling, shocking the guy. Deuce frowned and dragged Ace away.

When the smell of the man was gone, Ace came back to himself. His face turned red, and Deuce said he wouldn't tell anyone. When he entered the bedroom, he woke everybody up. They grumbled and put the pillow over their head or turned onto their other sides. "I really need you all to listen."

They looked up, able to hear again even though they were sleepy, but now they were more alert. Ace's voice was serious. "There's a seriously bad guy in the ship, I can tell. Walked past him and couldn't stop snarling." The others were shocked and sat up, since Ace was usually in control of that. He hadn't even snarled when fighting Whitebeard.

"He's fat, wearing an open white shirt and gray pants. But, since he could change his outfits, unlike myself, he's again fat, hairy, has bushy black hair and was wearing a bandana. Think he's missing teeth but I couldn't see it that well. Hooked nose. Would usually be distinguishable, but weirdos wear all sorts of things on this ship. If you see him, walk the other way immediately. Captain's orders."

Since he rarely called orders like that, they knew he was very serious. "Aye," they said, and all of them went to bed. The swim had relaxed Ace all of ten minutes and now he was worried and frustrated with himself for letting his self-control slip.

But he'd never, ever met anyone who gave off that terrible feeling. All of him had said to kill him _right now_ so at least he hadn't gone that far. Even Porchemy when he was torturing Luffy hadn't made him so defensive and volatile. Well, maybe that would be the tipping point and the Whitebeards would want him gone.

That made him smile, but worry about them catching on about his behavior. His temper, mood swings, stamina during the fight, the pride and now vicious snarling. He would indeed seem strange, but he was able to fall asleep relatively quickly.

-x-

Thatch pouted at breakfast, poking at his food with his fork. Marco couldn't stand it anymore and asked what his problem was. Thatch sighed, and whined, "Ace ignored me this morning. I said hi and he didn't even look at me. I don't think I did anything bad. Maybe it was because I pressed him about the food when he looked uncomfortable."

Marco frowned, since Thatch seemed to be the only one Ace accepted as a possible acquaintance. So it was strange he suddenly turned on him. And it clearly hurt Thatch's feelings, though he was an adult and Ace was a teenager. He should be able to handle the moodiness.

Ace had mood swings, so Thatch should be used to them by now. But then Marco asked, "What happened about food?" The few other commanders at the table were listening but not adding to the conversation.

Thatch frowned deeply, and Marco wondered what had happened. "He hates good food. He said he hates spicy, sweet, sour, any sort of seasoning, so I just gave him plain meat last night! That's horrible, why would that happen?! I can't even cook him my delicious meals and desserts!" he raged. Marco shook his head. Of course he was upset about that.

The chef got angry and offended whenever someone didn't like his food. "Did he make it seem like he only hated yours? Like, he said anything as an insult to you specifically?"

"Well, no, but still!" Thatch said immaturely. Marco shrugged.

Izo commented, "He's a weird, bratty kid. I don't know why Pops wants him, though. He clearly doesn't want to be here." A few of the other commanders nodded in agreement.

Thatch frowned, and Marco did as well. "Well you can't blame him for being cranky after how we've treated him," Marco said irritably. Izo looked offended and defended himself as barely talking to him at all. "Yeah, so you didn't talk to him. What about giving him nasty looks? After we found out he broke Thatch's nose, how did you react? I recall you calling him a 'little shit'. Who knows if he heard, I don't know, but still. Do you think that's how you should be acting to someone who is hoped to be your brother?"

Izo's mouth opened to argue, but apparently couldn't think of anything and shut his mouth. Kingdew argued, though. "Maybe if he showed an ounce of respect, we would too." Thatch scoffed.

"So you'll only show his respect if he does first? That's bullshit. We're the ones that kidnapped him, not the other way around. He, and all of his crew, deserve respect. And actually, if I catch anyone giving him nasty glares or saying something unfriendly, you have cleaning duty for one day," Marco said, exercising his first mate power, which he rarely uses over the commanders. "I'll let the others know later."

The commanders were enraged, though Thatch was nodding his head in approval. When Pops came in, Thatch left to go give the Spade's their meals on the large cart, since they hadn't eaten in the galley yet, and he wasn't going to ask them to force themselves. At least they could eat together now. Separating them had been mean and thoughtless.

Marco turned in his direction and thought he saw the last traces of a black boot leaving the doorway. But then Pops asked what the problem was, starting eating on his massive plate. "I gave them all orders. Respect Ace or be on cleaning duty."

"You can't let him do that, Pops! It's an abuse of power for favoritism," Atmos said loudly. Pops didn't look bothered, just gave Marco a strange look. Though he could read it well. He approved of it, but was surprised since Marco never used his power status over the commanders.

"No, it isn't. Ace already doesn't want to be here, how will you being disrespectful make it any better? If you pay any attention to him other than his cranky attitude, you'll see he is truly uncomfortable and uneasy about being here. And all of you are not making it any better.

"I completely support Marco's order. No more complaints," Whitebeard said with finality, making some of the commanders glower at Marco, who was unbothered by the looks. They could all hate him for now, he didn't care. But, like Thatch, he could see potential in Ace. He saw how he acted with his crew. He could hear their laughter through the wall.

Ace wasn't an asshole by nature. He just didn't like the situation. Hopefully they could change that. Then, Haruta came over and sat down. "What's with the looks?"

Vista said, "Pops has ordered us to respect Ace or have cleaning duty." Haruta asked why that made them so angry. It was just a captain's order. "Because Marco made it first and Pops just agreed."

Haruta snickered behind his hand. "He's a weird one. Apparently he and Deuce were walking from the deck at four this morning. Teach was trading shifts and he said Ace totally snarled at him. Seemed like it was normal or something since Deuce said nothing but dragged Ace away. Like, I know Teach doesn't always smell the best, but that was a bit overkill. Weirdo."

This did not help Marco and Pops' cause. The other commanders looked at them pointedly, as if saying, "Told you so," but didn't _dare_ say it out loud. "Shouldn't he be punished for that?" Jozu asked, though he didn't seem angry at the order. He was one of the originals, so he followed orders no matter what they were.

Marco replied, "We can't exactly punish him when he's not on our crew. Besides, what do we say to that? So it's weird, he growled at me once, too. Who cares? He didn't say anything or do anything threatening to Teach, right?" Haruta shook his head.

"He said the second he turned around the corner, Ace went quiet. Teach said he didn't think he did anything to him, but admits he might have looked at him funny. Still, I think that was overkill. Just a bit," but he laughed at it. "He's interesting. Like a puzzle or something with the way he acts."

Whitebeard laughed, clearly happy to have one more son on his side. Three down, 1,597 to go. When Thatch came back, he was pouting again. He sat down, but ate this time. "He ignored me again," he complained. The other commanders frowned deeply, and Marco sighed. "But he looked sad, too. Maybe he's upset about something and just doesn't want to talk. I won't take it personally. I'm more upset over the food I served him. It had no pepper on the eggs or syrup for the waffles!"

Haruta said, "That's so weird. How can you eat waffles without syrup?!"

"I know, right!" Marco chuckled and so did Pops. But Marco had an idea forming in his mind, about why Ace was suddenly ignoring Thatch. If he had angered Ace over something, Marco was sure Ace would be hostile. Perhaps, since he knew they weren't letting them go because they asked (because they weren't), he now would try and make them dislike him even more.

He frowned and bit his lip in worry over the reactions the crew would give if Ace was flat out rude to them and they were ordered to not retaliate. The order was given after everyone was inside, and many just shrugged, not having come into contact with him personally. There were some who frowned or grumbled, but no protests similar to many of the commanders.

Finamore, the Spade with the turban, brought the cart back in, all of the plates clean of food, and to the counter where everyone stacked their empty dishes once they were done. Nobody really left any food. Thatch's was too good to not finish. Even though Ace apparently disliked any seasoning, he clearly had no problems with the food Thatch gave him.

Marco, after breakfast, headed to Izo to ask him how the progress on Ace's clothes was. "They're done, but I'm not delivering them," he said flippantly. Marco gave him a look, and he said, "I didn't _say_ it to him or mention his name." Marco still wasn't happy, and went to fetch the shorts. They were designed completely like Ace's, since he had no other change of clothes.

It was only shorts, since Ace hadn't worn a shirt from the start. He brought them to the Spades' room, the second division commander's room, and knocked on the door. Deuce opened it and Marco could see Ace knocked out on the bed, arms spread wide and mouth open. "Yes?" Deuce asked.

"I brought some changes of clothes for Ace. We can do some for all of you if you want to get measured. Ace was measured when we were fixing him up after the fight."

"Oh, thanks. We'll do that later," he said. Marco couldn't help but ask about Ace, since he found him sleeping another time, out on deck. Deuce looked skeptical, but told the truth. "He has narcolepsy. Falls asleep at random times sometimes." Marco frowned, knowing they should have known that earlier for safety purposes. But he said nothing like that.

He thanked him for telling him that, and Deuce closed the door. Marco stood outside of it for a second before he walked away and back to the infirmary to give them this important information about Ace, and then to tell Pops.

Marco was out on deck when he noticed something strange. He'd noticed it a couple times now, since the Spades were being adventurous and were in other parts of the ship than their shared room. Teach was out playing poker on deck, and _every single time_ one of them saw him, they walked right back inside or in any other opposite direction.

It made him think that Ace had told them something about Teach, but Marco had no idea what. Teach wasn't a violent person, but Ace hadn't reacted like that to anyone else. Not even Pops when he was being condescending or hurting him. Well, he did growl, but nothing like Teach had described when Marco asked him for the full story.

He had no idea, but wasn't stupid enough to ask. He just filed away the reaction in his mind to think about later, tell Pops most likely. When Ace came out, he ignored everyone and climbed the ratlines and to the crows nest. Marco watched as Ace stared in one direction, Marco seeing the scrunched eyes, like he was trying to see something. 

Then they widened and he jumped off, landing with a flourish of fire before quickly walking inside. He snatched up a rope on his way. Marco frowned and turned towards the direction Ace had been looking at. He grabbed the nearest telescope from one of his brothers and looked in that direction.

He gasped when he saw an incoming wave, pretty big. He shouted to everyone to get ready. They all got the ship ready to be impacted by turning it in in the way it would do the least damage. They tied themselves to the deck and braced the ship for impact. It wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been if Marco hadn't noticed it.

If _Ace_ hadn't noticed it first, when it was completely out of sight. He was angry he hadn't said a thing. The whole ship almost turned on its side, and might have caused injuries from inside. He stormed inside, and heard angry shouting from the nearest bedroom. It was Thatch. "Ace, you shit! Get me out of here!"

Marco opened the door and found Thatch tied to the post of one of the bunks anchored to the floor. He was completely tied around it. Ace had _known_ people would be injured and had found Thatch and made sure he was safe. He probably helped his crew in some other way. They had all been inside, so he didn't know how Ace would have found all of them.

He only saved Thatch, because he only _cared_ about Thatch. While Marco was angry at Ace, why would he feel obliged to save the others? He only helped those he cared about, which included the chef. Ace was a good person, even if he picked and chose who he'd save.

He untied Thatch, and told him what had most likely happened, but only after he shut the door. "Wait, he knew? How'd he know?" Marco shrugged, having no idea. "He only grabbed one rope and used it on you." Thatch had tears in his eyes.

"He doesn't hate me!" he sobbed happily. He'd gotten very attached to the kid. Marco chuckled and patted his back. "He didn't even say anything, just grabbed me and shoved me in here to tie me up without saying a word."

Then he frowned. "But, he's been ignoring me all day. Why'd he save me?"

Marco sat on the lower bunk where Thatch had been tied. "I think he doesn't want to be mean to you, but still wants us to let him go. But he can't bring himself to be cruel to you. And I think he overheard us this morning. I saw a black boot leave the doorway of the kitchen." Thatch smiled lightly, hearing about Marco's theory, of Ace's guarded kindness.

When Marco exited the room, he found Deuce carrying Ace and hurrying towards the infirmary. Ace had blood on his forehead and was asleep. "What happened?" Thatch asked in horror.

Deuce didn't slow, but said, "He hit his head." Marco frowned deeply, knowing head injuries could be really serious. "Protecting me," he added bitterly. Thatch and Marco followed him to the infirmary, where multiple people were, some broken bones but mostly bruises. Ace seemed to be the only one with a bad head injury. So, Whiskey took him first, leaving those with broken bones to wait.

Marco looked around and grew irritated with Ace again. Though, he couldn't have properly warned everyone anyways if he left to find Thatch and Deuce. None of the other Spades were inside, so hopefully they were safe.

He stayed in the infirmary to help out, since he was trained in medicine, too, and noticed when Ace woke up. He had a bandage over his forehead, and looked perfectly fine. That was when Marco noticed something else. For anyone else, Ace should still be in pain from the stitches, but he didn't even wince at them. They were still there and not completely healed, obviously, but he didn't look in pain.

"You idiot," Deuce scolded, while many of the other Spades were there, more than one of them lightly injured or with already developing bruises. Ace stuck his tongue out at him. "That was really stupid. You could have just told me to hang on to something." He said it quietly, but loud enough for Marco's enhanced senses to hear. His phoenix fruit helped with that.

Ace shrugged. "You would have been too slow. Besides, there was nothing to hold onto, so your point is invalid," he said smoothly. Deuce scowled at him and Ace gave him an overly bright smile. Marco wanted to know what Ace had done to protect him and had hit his head at the same time.

Marco wanted to ask him how he knew about the wave, but wasn't going to. Not yet. But Thatch walked in with snacks for those still waiting for their turn, and set them in the middle of the room, on the cart, so pirates could get their own homemade granola bars. He brought one to Ace, which had no chocolate in it, just oats fused together.

Ace took it, but said nothing, turning his head away from Thatch, who didn't act too upset. "Thanks for tying me up. Sorry I was a pain about it." Ace made no reply, and while some of those in the room scowled at it, Thatch wasn't upset, and Ace ate the granola bar while his crew members got their own regular ones.

Then, Marco thought of something. Ace was a logia, so he should not have a head injury. But, if he protected Deuce and hit his head at the same time, then all Marco could think he had done was wrap himself around Deuce and make himself solid so if they hit something, Ace would be a shield and Deuce would not get the impact directly.

He frowned deeply, wanting Ace to stay. It seemed he was warming up to at least Thatch, and was kind to his friends. He could be kind to them some day. Marco walked forward, but Haruta was as well. "Hey, hey, Ace, my name is Haruta. How did you tie Thatch up so fast? I heard what you did, that's super cool."

"Fuck off," Ace said rudely, making Haruta frown and glare at him. He stomped away, but when Marco walked over to ask if he was alright, Ace pointedly looked away from him, ignoring him and saying nothing. It didn't surprise Marco.

"Hey! Respond to him! Show some respect!" someone from Marco's division shouted. Ace flipped them off.

Marco put his hand up to stop his underling's hissy fit. It was clear to Marco that they had to _earn_ Ace's respect. Or at least earn him not being an asshole to them.

As people were treated and then left the room, Marco glanced at Ace showed he looked exhausted, and laid down. Marco had a feeling he was putting up a front to seem strong when he was actually still hurting. He'd hit his head hard enough for it to bleed. Luckily, the skull wasn't broken, but it was still a hard hit.

"Can Ace drink any tea?" Thatch asked, the only one left besides Marco, who was filing away medical records. He asked it quietly, and Saber answered that green tea was fine. "I'll bring some soon," he promised, but Ace didn't react, only kept his eyes closed. Thatch and Marco left, dimming the lights for Ace's comfort.

Marco walked with Thatch to the kitchen to make him some hot tea. It would probably help him sleep if he was in pain. Both of them were cornered in the galley by angry division members. "How can you let him talk to you like that? He's completely disrespectful and taking advantage of us," one of Thatch's sous chefs raged.

Thatch looked at him in disbelief. "You're saying he's taking advantage of us for getting medical attention? If you haven't noticed, he avoids all of us like the plague. How the hell is he taking advantage of _anything?_ Besides, Marco and I know when someone is actually disrespecting us. He isn't."

The guy looked embarrassed about insinuating Ace taking advantage from getting an injury treated. "Well, he's so rude to everyone else!" Marco pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's clear to us that you need to earn his respect. Do you think you guys deserve respect when you give him none? Go run along before I make you have cleaning duty," Marco said, sounding cold and angry. The group dispersed, grumbling angrily.

While Thatch was boiling the water, Pops entered. "What happened with Ace, sons? I'm having a lot of complaints about how he's treating you. And that he told Haruta to 'fuck off'." He didn't sound too upset, a little amused.

Marco was sitting at the bar counter, with a glass of water. "Well, he's ignoring me and Thatch, and being hostile to everyone else. I think he can't bring himself to be cruel to me and Thatch, so he's just refusing to acknowledge us. I mean, he saved Thatch so he clearly doesn't hate _him."_ Surprisingly, this was the first Pops was hearing of Ace's deed. Well, he'd been busy helping out with the repairs and finding damage.

"He just barged into me and tied me up to the bunk of the nearest room. Then he ran off," Thatch replied, sounding a bit guilty. "He hit his head protecting Deuce, so he's in the infirmary." Pops clearly knew what Marco had thought.

"How did he know about the wave early enough to tie Thatch up?" he wondered, and Thatch stopped what he was doing, obviously not having thought about that. He looked up and Marco glanced around to make sure no one else was listening.

Marco voiced, "I think he knew it was coming. He had suddenly climbed up the crows nest and seemed to know where the wave was coming from. The only reason I knew about it was that I saw his reaction and looked myself." Whitebeard frowned, looking a bit upset and at the same time confused.

He asked that Ace had said nothing to them about such a huge wave that could have done real serious damage. It was only Marco's dire warning that the ship was mostly okay besides some splinters on the starboard side. That was being fixed as they spoke.

"I mean, this ship is his prison. I don't approve as well, but he had no real obligation to tell us," Marco pointed out, though he didn't like the truth in what he was saying. "He cares about Thatch and I think myself as well. Not the rest of us, sadly." Whitebeard still frowned, still disapproving. But then he sighed and said, "Well, no one died and there's nothing else we can do about it now. We just have to be glad that you saw his reaction."

Thatch and Marco nodded. Thatch got a tray and put the kettle of hot water on it with a mug and a couple packets of tea. "I'll be right back."

Marco and Pops nodded, and the blonde turned to him, wondering if he should say anything. Whitebeard, of course, noticed the change in his son's expression. "What is it?" he asked, though not in an unkind voice. More like curious. Marco frowned and bit his lip, not sure how to word it without it sounding negative. He didn't want to trash talk Ace, even if he wouldn't hear it.

Marco finally chose his words carefully, "Ace sometimes behaves in a way that is not typical." Whitebeard raised his brows in question. "His attitude and the strange reactions to things, such as the wave, and his snarling at Teach for no real reason. I've also noticed he seems to be healing from the stitches really well. And some of those had been deep." Pops looked guilty at this.

"What are you thinking?" he asked. Marco didn't know where he was going, so he said so. "Well, I will try my best now, to become like you and Thatch. Be kind enough for him to respect me and maybe get to know him more. My apology to him is long overdue."

Marco wished him good luck.


	4. Cat Out of the Bag

**Anime_Moon00: Lol, my favorite part of the chapter was when Haruta tries to be friendly and Ace just tells him to fuck off and flips everyone else off. Gotta love stubborn, cranky Ace.**

**aeroclash: Thank you! In this one, the outcome with Teach later is kind of funny. Just so random.**

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: I loved making Ace not a pushover for most of the story. And I loved making him so cranky and with a proud and demanding attitude. Usually my Ace's are nice and funny, but not this one!

#### Portgasjuiceorange: There's a lot more to come!

#### Shadow22739: Yay you're back! That was such a nice comment! I'm so happy you love all of my stories and they are so not similar the people don't get bored with them. I really care about my readers. I had a regular reviewer who was going through some hard times being a nurse with covid, and they haven't commented in months. I tried reaching out to her on ff.net, but she never replied, so I'm worried if she's okay. :( I hope she'll come back. 

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**This is a big chapter that changes the rest of the story! Enjoy~**

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"You don't have to hide your pain, Ace," Saber said next to his bed, sitting in one of the chairs around Ace's hospital bed.

Ace mumbled, "Can't show weakness. Not my pack." Ace didn't notice he'd said that word. He rarely said that, even if they weren't in enemy territory. No one disputed him, and he was very out of it. Thatch came in, carrying a tray of a kettle and some tea supplies. He set them down on the nearest table, and poured a cup of it for him, the tea bag resting in the side.

"Feel, better, Ace," the chef said quietly. Ace said nothing, not because he was ignoring him, but he was so tired. When Thatch left, Ace complained that his head hurt. Deuce offered to get pain pills. The partial dragon nodded, and Mihar adjusted the bed up so Ace could have some tea.

He put his hand under the mug so Ace didn't spill it. It tasted good, and anything hot didn't hurt Ace's throat, so he drank the mug quickly, even as it was still steaming and would burn any normal person. When Deuce came back, he had some pain pills and Ace took them before dozing off. The nurse said he'd been awake long enough to be able to sleep now, if he had a concussion.

He fell asleep and woke up the next day feeling much better. Nobody was in the infirmary when he did, and he felt sad at that. No one from his crew stayed with him. He sighed and tried sitting up, before a toilet flushed and Deuce walked out with messy hair and no mask. Ace smiled, so happy he wasn't left alone.

"Ace! Good morning. What, did you think we'd just leave you here alone?" the blue haired doctor asked. Ace looked sheepish, and Deuce just laughed. He did a check up on Ace, using all of the pirates' supplies and deemed Ace perfectly fine. He passed every physical and cognitive test he'd done.

Ace grinned. "A bump on the head wouldn't keep me down too long." Then he sighed, and could tell nobody was near, and said, "I want to go on a swim." Deuce frowned, looking sympathetic. "What time is it?" Ace wondered, hoping it was close to night time so he wouldn't have to wait long. But he was disappointed when Deuce told him it was early morning. Like he'd said a few moments ago.

Ace slumped in the bed and put the pillow over his face. "Wanna go home," he said into the pillow.

"I know. But I don't think your tactic is working as long as you're not being mean to Thatch and Marco, too," Deuce commented. Ace knew this. He knew that was a problem, but he physically couldn't bring himself to be cruel to him. Ace had never been able to be cruel to those that showed care for him. At least, had proven they'd care about him. He had to reciprocate respect. That was how dragons worked, they reciprocated respect if it was given to each other. That's why fighting over territory was so hard. They couldn't physically harm one another, so they had to negotiate, which was a nightmare. That was only land dragons. Water and sky dragons went wherever they wanted.

"You know I can't," Ace said sadly. Deuce said he did know, but it was a problem. "I don't know what I could do to fix that other than ignore them, but they aren't reacting how I want. If they did, I could reciprocate disrespect. I feel like a burden even though I'm captain," he confessed.

Deuce might be his first mate, the was the first crew member he'd gotten, but he was more Ace's closest friend. Even if their relationship started out rocky, they'd bonded and were now close friends. He sighed. "You're not a burden. You did your best to protect us and let us get away. We didn't follow an order, that's on us for getting beat up and being unable to protect you. And you got injured this time saving me. That would make me a burden, wouldn't it?"

"No! None of you are burdens," he insisted. "You're my family."

Deuce nodded and smiled. "Does family consider injured family to be a burden?" Ace replied with, "Crappy families." The blue haired man laughed, putting his mask back on. Only some on the crew had seen him without it. He didn't mind Ace seeing him without it much after the years they'd been traveling together.

Besides, it wasn't like Ace could not look when they shared a dingy little boat in the East Blue. "I hope we're not crappy family members then," he said in humor, and Ace laughed. He sat up straight and stretched. He wanted out of the bed, wanted to at least go outside even if he couldn't go on a swim. He changed into a new pair of shorts given to him by Deuce, and then they both went outside.

Ace's stomach rumbled, but he wanted fresh air over food. There weren't many on deck, and he walked to the side, looking down at the inviting water. He sighed, wishing he could go in whenever he wanted and didn't need to wait until night time so that stupid full humans couldn't know.

He sat on the railing, dangling his feet over the side. He saw fish glimmer below, wishing he could chase them. They were too small to be real prey, though. He wanted a shark or maybe a small sea king. Mammals didn't taste good to eat raw. It was satisfying to kill big creatures, but the chase was enjoyable. When a smaller beast than him, but not too small, shows fear and flees.

"Be careful, there," Whitebeard suddenly said, and Ace jumped, slipping into the ocean without a scream. Just a small splash.

"Don't say a word," Deuce hissed to the captain before he started shouting. "Don't you _dare_ bring any attention or I will have Ace torch this ship," he threatened very seriously. Whitebeard nodded, though he didn't seem happy with his words. He could sense that Deuce was saying something important.

The captain was leaning over the side of the ship when Ace's head popped up. He groaned, running his hands through his hair. "Throw me a rope!" he called. He'd rather just climb up the side of the ship. Deuce frowned, and Ace asked what the problem was.

"Shouldn't you just tell him now? It's already suspicious," Deuce called. "What would the explanation be?"

"No! You know I can't tell him! None of them can know! Give me a fucking rope!" Ace demanded, and Deuce sighed, and went to get a rope before throwing it down for Ace to climb it easily. When he landed on deck, he warmed himself to dry without the assistance of a towel. Whitebeard looked utterly confused.

"How? You're a devil fruit user," the captain said in bafflement.

Ace snapped back that it was none of his business. He wasn't going to tell this man he didn't trust, who could harm his family, the truth about himself. Sure, he'd be suspicious as hell now, but strange looks were better than chains or slavery. Or having his crew killed. Deuce dragged Ace along and inside.

"I'm not telling him," Ace hissed in a storage room. Deuce put his face in his hands, and asked what he was going to say. It was clear he wasn't a normal devil fruit user. "What if he wants to keep me as a pet or something? Or sell me, or tell the government so I can never be a normal criminal again!"

By now, he was feeling hysteric, and Deuce realized this. "Okay, just sit down and breathe," he said, kneeling next to him.

"We have no way to escape, and I can't fly us away or anything. And there's too many of us to fit on one raft. We're trapped now, Deuce. We've been trapped and they won't let us go and now he probably won't stop pestering me or tell everyone else!" He put his head between his knees, breathing in and out deeply.

They both felt the presence outside of the door. "You do not need to tell me or anyone, and I will not ask. I swear this," Whitebeard's deep voice said, and he walked away. Deuce shared a look with Ace, both of them not knowing what to do about this. They, especially Ace, didn't trust the captain or most on this crew.

Ace felt lost and confused and afraid. He hadn't been this afraid since he'd been seen in the ocean when he was nine by a fisherman from Foosha, and didn't know if he would tell any of the others what he saw. He ended up not, since he was older and had dementia, and would rather not risk it in a moment of clarity.

Those feelings of fear and dread festered and had him ill by day two. He couldn't let that happen this time. He had people to protect and an image to keep up. He didn't know if Marco would be told, since he was the first mate. It wouldn't be strange for him to be told. Ace was more sure he would say nothing than the yonko's promise of saying nothing.

Ace, frankly, did not believe the man. He'd given Ace no reason to trust or like or respect him. He'd mocked, injured and kidnapped him. Had looked down on him from more than just their staggering difference in height. Ace scowled, and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry, Deuce. I should have been paying more attention. Now everything is messed up."

Deuce was silent for a long moment, before he said, "Don't apologize, but we need to brainstorm about what to do with everyone else. Staying in a storage room and panicking isn't going to get us anywhere but make you more hysterical, which we don't need right now." Ace nodded, knowing he needed to be calm. He wasn't a little boy anymore, he was a pirate captain and he had responsibilities.

He took a few deep breaths and the two left the room and went to gather their family. Ace ignored everyone he walked past, only looking for his crew. He ignored Marco and Thatch easily, he ignored Whitebeard, he ignored the glares and whispers. He was able to ignore them because he wasn't thinking about them. Or anything but the prospect of being caged.

The walk was able to make him cool off enough to speak once the Spades were all gathered in their bedroom.

"Whitebeard knows I can swim," he said simply. They were all silent, no one shouted. Saber just said, "Shit" while everyone else looked uneasy or fearful or put their faces into their hands.

"Did you tell him about the other stuff?" Ace shook his head and responded that Deuce tried to get him to. The others glared at him, and the blue haired man stiffened. Aggie 68 demanded to know why Deuce wanted to expose Ace's identity.

Deuce defended himself, "I just felt that lying would make him angry. I admit in hindsight that it might have made things worse, but Whitebeard told Ace he wouldn't ask or tell anyone about it. We didn't reply." The others didn't relax much, not taking the yonko for his word. They knew what Marco said his goal was, for Ace to join the crew willingly, but still. It was hard to trust a kidnapper. Especially when they still refused to let you go.

They were all quiet, and Ducky Bree finally asked, "Well, what do we do?" Ace shrugged. He knew it wasn't helpful, he was the one that was supposed to make the decisions, but he just didn't know what to do.

"Why don't we wait until we're at the next island and then ditch? We can steal a ship and Ace can pull it out before anyone can attempt to take it back," Mihar offered. Aggie chimed in that they'd need a log pose. "Then we steal one, no big deal."

Ace sighed and said, "Our ship is on one of their protected islands. They could just have the ship put out of order while we escape and then when we get there, we'll be trapped until they come back to take us again."

Deuce turned to Ace and asked, "Do you think you can be foul to Thatch and Marco _now?_ Maybe Whitebeard is telling the truth and won't say a thing. That doesn't change the fact that we don't want to be here. There's nothing we can do to change what he knows. We can only try and get off and get far away and never run into them again."

Ace bit his lip and nodded, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ace. We're so sorry," Saber said, and Ace rubbed his eyes and nodded.

"I can't be weak about this. I can't care about acquaintance's feelings more than my freedom and our lives," Ace said, voice strong and tears gone. "I'll do my best." The others nodded, and sighed, before trying to distract their captain with something else.

-x-

"Pops? Are you okay, you're acting weird," Marco said out on deck, standing next to the captain who was looking troubled.

The captain just chuckled. "I'm fine. I just think Ace will be trying to push us away more, now. He's a good person, don't let any of his upset fool you," he said vaguely. Marco knew that was as good an answer as he was going to get. He wanted to know if something had happened, but didn't ask directly.

Instead, he pointed out that Ace's head was better. "Did you end up going to talk to him and apologize for before?" the blonde asked, still suspicious. The yonko shook his head, said he didn't have the chance before something came up. "Something?" Marco asked, utterly confused and irate with how unhelpful the captain was being. Usually he was upfront and honest. Did something happen with Ace? But he didn't ask, as Pops clearly wasn't going to tell him. Instead, he decided to try and see what Ace was doing, if he was alright.

He couldn't help but worry something had happened to him, which was the cause of Pop's vague statement. He hoped things would get better with Ace, not _worse._ He went looking for him before he heard a lot of ruckus in his own room. He started running when he heard the sound of glass breaking.

Marco slammed the door open to see Ace with a massive axe just destroying his room and everything in it. He was shocked for a minute before Marco shouted his name and tried to get him to stop. Ace didn't stop, just slammed the axe into the wall again, splintering it.

He grabbed and restrained him, pulling his arms back. "What the hell are you doing!?" he demanded. Ace bit down on his hand, but it went through his flames. Marco could tell he was crying, even while attempting to continue breaking everything. His room was completely destroyed, everything ruined beyond repair.

Marco finally took the axe from him and broke it into pieces, so Ace couldn't swing it anymore. So Ace lit his hands on fire and grabbed the dresser, lighting it on fire even as tears cascaded down his face.

"Shit! Ace, no!" he shouted, and dragged in into the bathroom, where he attempted to put it in the shower and start the water. The sprinkler head was mangled, so he broke the wall and the piping, pouring the water on the dresser and into the other room.

He could hear Ace sobbing in the bedroom, but didn't smell smoke coming from anywhere else. Water puddled on the wooden floor and into the rub. He got the small fire extinguished before jumping over it to find Ace ripping up the flooring, keeping his hands solid so blood was gushing out of his fingers as wood splintered into his nail beds.

He grabbed Ace and pinned him down, hands behind his back while Marco had a knee on the small of his back. "Stop, Ace! What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded, more concerned and confused than angry.

"Fuck you!" Ace shouted, the only reply he got. Marco tried calming him down, but all he repeatedly sobbed was "fuck you!" over and over. Something had happened, something was seriously wrong and had caused this.

Marco knew just the wrong person had come. Thatch shouted, "What happened?!" when he saw the state of Marco's room.

"Don't get Pops, Thatch! Don't get anyone!" Marco shouted. Thatch was surprised, but nodded, and shut the bedroom door, which was pretty useless as it was broken in half, one of the hinges ripped off of the wall.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" Ace screamed. Thatch asked what was going on, sounding freaked out.

"Ace, no one here is going to hurt you, no matter what you do to our stuff. No one if going to punish you, or kill you or your crew. Nobody will hurt you, you don't need to act like this-" Marco said.

"Fuck you!" Marco shared a worried look with Thatch, who put his hand on Ace's head softly. "I hat-hate y-y- FUCK!" Ace screamed, sobbing, and seemingly physically unable to hurt either of their feelings, which was why he opted for destroying the room. "I can't do it!" he sobbed, and banged his forehead into the floor. Thatch put his hand on his forehead so it was banging Thatch's hand into the splintered wood.

"Shhh, shhh," Thatch soothed.

" _STOP BEING NICE!"_ Ace raged, like that was the most offensive thing they could ever, ever do to him. Like that was killing someone he loved. He said it with so much anger and despair. He started wriggling around, kicking his feet, but Marco kept him down.

He said, "No. We're not going to stop being nice whether you beat one of us up or decimate our bedrooms. We're not cruel! We're not going to ruin your life, we want you to stay!"

"No you don't!" Ace screamed back. It had brought attention by others now, more commanders were there, and Thatch demanded them to leave. He was worrying when the commanders were pulling weapons as Ace bit Thatch's hand.

"Sons! Leave, now," they heard Whitebeard bellow from out of view.

Kingdew shouted, "Look what he's doing! Look at his mess, and Thatch's hand!" Whitebeard came into view, and saw the destruction before he ordered his sons to leave the hall _right now_ and to not say a word about it to anybody. "But Pops-!"

"I ORDER YOU TO LEAVE!" he bellowed angrily. It shocked them all, even Marco and clearly Ace. They all left, sounding like they were running. Whitebeard stepped through the broken door, pushing it apart to let him in fully.

Ace continued to sob, shouting "fuck you!" again, since he was unable to say anything that would actually hurt Thatch or Marco. Whitebeard knelt next to him. "No one will judge you for what you are, child. No one will report you, or abuse you in any way," he said, confusing Thatch and Marco. Ace finally fell silent.

"We are all children of the sea, no matter what you are," he said calmly, quietly even though he was heard very clearly. Thatch and Marco didn't know what Whitebeard was talking about, but Thatch went with it.

"Yeah, we don't care about stuff like that. You're a good guy, we know you are trying to be mean and just can't do it. You love your crew, make them happy. You're not a bad guy," Thatch insisted. Ace shook his head frantically. "We want you to be family-"

"Stop it!"

"-We want to be your friend, and make you happy-"

"Stop it!"

"I'm not gonna stop! I don't care that you're hostile, I don't care that you hate my food, I don't care that you destroyed everything in here, I don't care! I know when someone is a good person and there's nothing you can do to change my opinion!" Thatch finally shouted.

Marco had no clue what was going on, though Pops clearly did. "Please child, accept our words."

"Don't talk down to me, you ass!" Ace raged, finally seeming angry. Marco was shocked, but said nothing of it.

Whitebeard replied, calmly, "I am not talking down to you, I am showing an act of kindness. I understand that you don't want to be talked down to, and I won't ever do it again. I'm sorry about the first time, I did not mean to come across that way."

Ace started shaking his head again. "Pops, should you sedate him? I think he's having a panic attack," Marco said quietly.

The captain shook his head. "No, he stays awake." Marco personally thought it was a mean thing to do, but Ace had tensed when he heard the prospect of being knocked out. "Ace, please, be calm. Let us talk. We can go to my room, even if you destroy everything in there as well. Material goods don't matter that much."

Ace sobbed, "We just wanna go home! Let us go home!" Marco felt a lance of shame and guilt go through his heart. Hearing Ace say it so brokenly made him feel evil, that he was part of what causedt his. Marco and Thatch both looked to Pops, who looked conflicted. Whitebeard insisted that they talk.

"Please, Ace," Whitebeard said softly, and Ace finally stopped struggling. But, Marco had to jump off once spikes stabbed through him, would have skewered him if he hadn't had his powers. There were long black spikes out of Ace's back. Thatch jumped back and Ace's body rapidly grew until he was pressed to all the walls, claws embedded in the floor. Ace was a dragon, or at least part dragon. And he was panicking now, clearly not having meant to transform. His slitted eyes were flicking around. There was only one exit and he couldn't fit.

Whitebeard shocked them all when he bowed silently. Ace stopped moving, but was still breathing heavily. Thatch was panicking, too, but he bowed as well, Marco following after.

"No matter your blood, I see a good person and I see a future where you will be happy here. I am not psychic, I will not pretend to be. I just know in my heart. And we will investigate into Teach. But please, calm, so we can talk," Pops said in an even voice, an earnest voice, clearly meaning his words.

Marco and Thatch were confused with the Teach reference before they shared a look of understanding. It was clear now, Ace's strange reactions, the inflated pride and temper. And why Ace had known about the wave. "C'mon Ace, I doubt being that big in here is comfortable," Thatch said, not an ounce of fear in his voice, even though there was an angry or panicked dragon in front of him with big claws and teeth that were clearly meant to rip things to shreds. And had, before.

The blonde had to wonder where his crew was, but Marco extended his haki to see a mass congregation of presences at the end of the hall. More than any commanders, meaning the Spades were probably blocking the area off as well, so no one could see Ace's dragon form. After he slowly started breathing slower and Pops was no longer bowing but not making direct eye contact and giving off a general expression of respect, he finally changed back.

His forehead and fingers were bloody, and Thatch ran out to his room and got bandages. "C'mon, there's splinters of the floor, you're barefoot," Marco said, helping a shocked Ace out of the room, even if he was now not solid so splinters shouldn't be a problem. The four went to Pops' bedroom.

They gave Ace the arm chair so he didn't need to sit so close to them on the big bed. Thatch sat on the floor, Marco beside him. Both were silent, and Whitebeard closed the door gently. It was quiet for a little while before Thatch asked, "Were you afraid of us?" Ace didn't answer. "We're not afraid of you hurting us. I mean, I know you can, but you won't."

Marco then said, "Because you can't, because we respected you, and dragons are noble like that."

Ace still didn't respond even when Thatch gently took his hand and started to pluck the wood out from under his nails with tweezers. It was so hard to watch, it made Marco's own fingers hurt, which was impossible for many reasons.

"So, you're part dragon?" Thatch asked kind of dumbly. Marco had no idea how it was possible. Had never heard of this happening.

"You don't have to answer any questions, Ace," Whitebeard said, sitting on the far side of his bed. Ace said nothing before turning to Marco, glancing up at him and then back at the floor.

Ace said, "Sorry for wrecking your room. We just want to go home, and you won't let us go." He sounded so weary, so sad, and Marco looked at Pops with a concerned look. But he was looking at Ace strangely, like he was wondering about asking something, before he finally asked, taking a deep breath first.

"Ace, was your mother's name Rouge?" Whitebeard asked. Marco had no idea who Rouge was, never had heard of her before. Ace jerked his head up, but didn't give any response. Pops was patient and didn't say anything else, clearly waiting for an answer but not pressing for it. Ace finally nodded, Thatch pulling another splinter out. Marco didn't know why Ace didn't just burn them out, but maybe he just wasn't thinking straight right then.

"Why… do you want me to stay? I obviously don't want to," Ace said, voice flat but not angry. Whitebeard looked to be deliberating for a moment, but not long, before he replied honestly. He didn't make eye contact when he spoke.

After learning that Ace was part dragon, half or not, things had gotten more complicated. Marco knew how to treat dragons, but Ace was also human. It would be weird to bow to him all the time, always, _always_ show respect. And he knew the rest of the crew, even if they didn't know what had happened, would not show the kind of respect the powerful species demanded and deserved.

Ace hadn't lashed out at them or transformed in anger, or violence. He was scared. His body reacted in a protective manner, to protect himself, even if the three had done nothing to show they'd hurt him. And he'd shown respect to Marco and Thatch. Proving that he could be a good person. Was a good person.

Marco wasn't happy with his room being completely trashed, everything broken, but knew why Ace had done it. It had been physically impossible for him to be terrible directly to the two who showed him respect. So he went after their belongings instead of them. Instead of hurting them, he'd hurt himself by clawing at the floor.

It would be hard to explain to the others why he had done that. No doubt he'd be shunned for it, for destroying a commander's room, the first mate. It would need to be repaired, but at least the he knew Thatch wouldn't mind him staying with him until everything was fixed. The walls and floor and doors would need to be replaced. The ceiling was unscathed. He also needed new furniture.

"I had already been so interested in you based on your escapades. Destroying marine bases, turning down an offer to be a warlord. I wasn't happy with you burning down Fishman island's flag, but Jinbei punished you enough for that one.

"When we fought and when I showed disrespect, I saw such anger in your eyes. The kind that would eat somebody alive eventually. I feel we can help fix that. And now that I know who your mother was, I also know your father and can see why you feel the anger you do. Anybody in that situation would feel hated and ostracized by the entire world but a few." Marco didn't know who he meant, who Ace's father was since he didn't recognize the name Rouge. But who had been the dragon? The mother or father? Was it hereditary or some other way? But how would a dragon and human mate?

How was Ace possible?

Ace looked wary, but surprisingly not offended. "I'm angry because I'm a dragon," he said defensively, even though he didn't have the snap in his voice that showed he was offended. That Marco had heard multiple times.

Marco and Thatch had not yet processed that Ace was a dragon, and didn't know how Pops knew, either. What had happened to give it away? "That is true, you are right. Dragons are prideful and demand respect, which most of us have showed little of. They just don't understand, but I wish for them to treat you well. We want you to be family. It's not going well so far, but I still feel hope."

"Even though I destroyed the room and attacked Thatch," Ace said, the question more of a statement. Marco glanced at Thatch's hand. It hadn't bled, but left a red mark. Thatch waved it off, saying it hadn't broken the skin and he wasn't really using his dangerous teeth.

Whitebeard chuckled at this, and Marco knew why. "You aren't the only one who resisted at first. Marco did, too. He attacked me multiple times when I first took him. But now he's the first mate and happy here. But he was fourteen at the time." Ace looked surprised at this, not a blank or angry expression like he had had.

The dragon looked at Marco, who looked embarrassed. "I was angry when I was a kid due to my childhood. I disliked Pops at first, and the ship we were on was tiny compared to the Moby Dick. So, I did attack him. But I eventually realized he did care for me, no matter if I attacked him. I don't know _why,_ but I'm happy he did." Marco smiled brightly at the memory.

Ace furrowed his brows, looking confused and uncertain, but at least not angry anymore. Thatch spoke and said, "Once the people here learn what you're really like, and how to treat you, you'll have more people who know about you but accept you. We don't expect you to tell anybody anytime soon, and that's not a problem. Take your time."

Whitebeard asked him to please try to get used to it here. He wanted to see him happy. He wanted him to be his son, dragon or not. Temper or not. Angry or not. "I just don't understand."

"Things might have gone a lot better if our plan had gone how we wanted it to. I didn't expect you to have been in a fight like that, exhausted and angry. And I didn't expect the temper, either. But it doesn't mean I don't still want to make you happy with us," the captain explained patiently.

Thatch asked how old he was. "23 in dragon years I think," Ace said, shocking them. The chef asked how old he considered himself. "18 in human years." He would be the youngest regardless of whether it was human or dragon years. Whitebeard implored him to try again. Marco watched Ace closely, trying to guess his response. Pops had just shown his true colors. He wasn't mocking like he'd come across at first.

He was respecting Ace as a human and dragon. Marco knew he would adjust easily to how to treat Ace. He knew that he would still be himself and would not put Ace on a pedestal, but the mocking, seemingly cocky attitude, and joking at him would end. Had ended, based on this conversation.

Hopefully, Ace accepted. Marco wanted him as a little brother, and he could see Thatch wanted that wish, too, as he pulled out the last splinted. None of them embedded his feet, which was lucky. Ace had a blank expression before he got up and left. He opened the door and said, "Fine," and then left the room.


	5. The Effort Begins

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Lol the commanders get even worse, mwahaha!

#### Anime_Moon00: I always feel really bad when I write stories when Thatch is mean (rarely EVER happens, as it's blasphemy!). He's always tied with Marco for my favorite commander to write even though he was given barely any screen time in the anime. :( They did Thatch bad. 

#### Portgasjuiceorange: Lol I have no idea. Though it kind of sounds like they'd be shouting it, so I'm gonna guess DBZ because I know they scream in that a lot (really have no idea what it is though lol).

#### Shadow22739: A scary, dangerous balloon lol. Yeah I hope she messages some day. It would be nice if she read this and knew that people care about her. 

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**Who is surprised that I posted another story? Now I'm completely full, an update every day lol. This chapter is accompanied by a one-shot detailing more about his story as how he became a dragon hybrid.**

**Also question: How would you feel if someone said an aspect of your stories suck but that they'd be happy to help you be better at it, as they have more experience in such things. And then when you decline the kind of rude offer, they send you a long-ass list of every minor mistake you've made in a certain area? Would that annoy you?**

**Anyways, enjoy~**

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When the door shut, the three grinned. The Pops told them to stand up for him in any way they could, try to make him feel welcome. This was a fragile agreement, and Ace was sensitive. They so hoped this would work.

But they didn't even know what type of dragon he was. How he was a dragon. Marco turned to his father, who had known both of Ace's parents, somehow. And knew his father well, why Ace felt so angry about him. What made that anger justified. He wished he knew, too, but it was personal to Ace, clearly.

Even so, he asked his father what he knew about Ace's parents, if either of them were part dragon. He had no idea how that worked. But Ace was very big in his dragon form. He filled up the whole room, but his legs and wings were stumpy, too small to use. So, he only grew to that size because it was all he was able to do in that space.

"I knew both of his parents. Neither were part dragon. I've never heard of a human being part dragon before. Something non-genetically caused him to be like this. Don't ask him, though. I don't want anybody prying."

Thatch asked how the captain had known about Ace before he transformed. Something other than his attitude had to have set it off. Let Pops know before the incident. "He fell into the ocean and was able to swim easily. He no doubt pretended before, when I threw him out of the window."

It wasn't so strange to think a devil fruit would not change dragon characteristics. Maybe he was a water dragon. And he was clearly able to control himself since he hadn't shifted when he fought Pops and was losing badly. He must fear others knowing. Coming after him. The Spades no doubt knew about it.

He sighed, hoping things would work out before he and Thatch hurried out to try and calm the storm that was no doubt brewing in the hallway where the commanders were clustered. Hopefully Ace wasn't angry and lashing out at them, and the same on the other side. Marco didn't know how they'd get everyone to be chill with what happened.

Ace had seemed crazy, screaming, destroying things and biting Thatch's hand hard. Marco desperately hoped everything would work out with Ace. He knew he could be a good, fun person who can laugh and make others laugh. His crew adored him, so he wasn't a bad person.

-x-

Ace was blocked by a cluster of commanders. He didn't want to talk to them, he wanted to be alone and think. He didn't know _what_ to think yet. Whitebeard had sounded sincere, Ace could tell. And he was surprised that he knew his mother's name. As far as he knew, she lived on an island that was not in the Grand Line. That's what Gramps had told him when he took him in. Ace was not a dragon by blood, that was impossible. He'd just run into one at a very young age. He was three when he first wandered off from the bandit's house. Three years old. They lost him as a toddler. He remembered he ended up rolling down a hill and landing in the ocean.

He was screaming, drowning before a huge hand grabbed him and dragged him under. He was only three, but the experience was so memorable that he knew what had happened. The scaled hand, the size of a carriage, had trapped him and he was drowning until he was in a cave underwater, that also had an air pocket.

But then the dragon who lived there, unknown to anybody and everybody on the island, seemed to realize Ace was not it's baby. Somehow, it had mistaken him. Ace didn't know why or how. He didn't look anything like a baby dragon. But not long later, after the dragon left Ace to cry by himself in the dimly lit cave, it came back with its actual baby.

It walked over to him, more like crawling with its belly on the stone, to Ace. He remembered reaching out to it, a very non-scary dragon. Soft around the edges with stubby horns and teeth. It's claws were stumps, too. It wasn't scary. Ace reached out to it, and touched the little stone on its chest that he much later learned only baby dragons had.

It had sent a painful shock through him, and it seemed the parent dragon was freaked out about this and dragged Ace back under and onto land. After that, Ace longed to swim in the ocean. With the bandits not showing any concern for his safety, he managed to learn to swim, and once he was five, he first transformed.

Garp never found out, he made sure of that. Luffy and Sabo knew. Sabo knew first, and didn't judge him for it, thought it was amazing. He snuck into libraries and stole books about dragons. But there was not a single one that said anything about hybrids. Ace felt alone and unnatural.

His behavior changed. He had been a happy baby, even if he didn't realize he had a bad home life. But after he turned into a half dragon, or however much of him was a dragon, he got angry more. Offended easily. He hit people for being rude to him. Not his brothers, never, but people in town. He was angry, and learning who his father was didn't help. The only people that made him feel welcome and loved were Sabo and Luffy. Then Sabo died and all he had was Luffy. His little angel. He got better with Luffy, but obviously not that much better.

Finding a crew that accepted him helped him be happy. He'd set out as a pirate to try and find others like himself. But there was no trace, no old rumors, no legends, nothing. He traveled the first half of the grand line searching, but not finding anything. If anything would have happened, it would have been in the New World.

He didn't not enjoy being a pirate, but being some super rookie wasn't his goal. He wanted to not feel completely abnormal. Then he longed for a good fight. Everybody he fought lost. He didn't feel strong by defeating weak opponents. He didn't feel like a strong human or strong dragon. He was neither. So, disillusioned by not finding anything about someone like him, his next goal was to defeat Whitebeard.

He didn't count on Jinbei going after him, but he'd won in the end, even if it caused him to lose pathetically to a man now wanting him as a _son._ What the hell was up with that? It made no sense. But now he was stuck. He had wanted to fight him, truly. Off him and feel strong. But now he _couldn't._

Whitebeard showed complete and utter respect and understanding to Ace. How could he attack him now? Like he couldn't disrespect Thatch or Marco, Whitebeard had joined those two. It didn't mean he couldn't be a brat, but he couldn't attack him, he couldn't be awful to him. Even if he didn't even want to be under somebody else, he would not be fighting Whitebeard again. Even if the man himself wanted to, Ace wouldn't be able to.

When he ran into the blockade of commanders, he snapped at them to get out of his fucking way. Izo, the one dressed like a woman who talked about him like he was trash when he thought Ace couldn't hear, pulled a gun on him.

"No! Izo, don't!" Thatch shouted, running down the hall after Ace. Marco was running there, too. Izo snapped furiously that Ace had destroyed a room and all of Marco's belongings. He also had hurt Thatch. The chef looked at his hand at the fading, red bite mark. "It's fine."

"It is _not_ fine! Why are you letting him walk all over everybody?!" Izo demanded. Ace's arm shot forward and he grabbed the gun, yanking it out of Izo's hand. The man was shocked that Ace had grabbed the gun from the barrel. He took it and threw it down the hall before shoving past everybody there.

Ace wanted to think, he didn't want to fight or argue. He walked down the halls and outside, passing people looking at him curiously or suspiciously. It looked like anybody besides the commanders didn't know. He could hear Marco and Thatch trying to de-escalate the situation. The voices faded, though, pretty soon.

He ran into his crew outside on the back deck. They knew him well. After that episode, he'd go straight to the ocean. He looked around and said nothing to his crew before taking his boots off and dropping into the water. He didn't change into a dragon. He just floated in the water, breathing just fine and his vision perfect still.

He let the current move his hair around, let himself be carried along with it. He stayed deep enough to not be seen but not too deep that he couldn't see easily. The New World was infested with water dragons and sea kings. Dragons stayed out of sight more, cruising and hunting deeper.

No sea king came to Ace while he floated. The ship was stationary, still. They hadn't moved since the Spades were taken. He had been told by his crew why that was. They wanted the Spades to join, especially Ace, and doing so by abandoning personal belongings wouldn't help. The ship was waiting for them, waiting for them to either say goodbye and return to the adventures and search of his own kind.

Ace saw a water dragon drift below the ship, a huge shadow, too wide to be a sea king. Ace shifted and swam down to it. When it saw him, it stopped cruising through the water and stared at him for a second before swimming away.

He was unnatural to them. Dragons knew he was off. Humans didn't. They couldn't sense it. They just thought he was bratty or conceited. Not part dragon, which was impossible. Dragons couldn't mate with humans, obviously. He turned back into human shape and floated around some more. All he had was his crew. A total of six of them. Compared to 1,600, it was very different. He took a deep breath and swam deeper in human form until it was completely dark. The pressure down there didn't hurt him, even in human form.

A saw a huge shark came up from under him, and shifted immediately to his colossal size, swallowing the shark in two bites. Blood was in the water in front of him, and he swam away a bit. His wings didn't do much to help his swim. They cut through the water perfectly. What mosty got him going were his back legs and powerful tail.

Eventually, he returned to the ship, still not knowing about what to do. He had to talk to his crew about it. It was their life, too. He would be taking them with him, making that choice for them. He at least wanted their input. Ace was in human form when he surfaced, and climbed up the back of the ship.

He whistled and Ducky Bree stuck his head over the railing and said it was safe. Ace came over the railing and dried himself off before putting his boots on and sitting in the circle they had made. Deuce asked him what had happened. They had expected them to be kicked off the ship after Ace wrecked the bedroom of the second highest ranking figure on the ship. The one who had control over everybody besides the captain.

"It definitely didn't go to plan," Ace started, and then told the whole story of what had happened. They were all shocked besides Deuce, who looked thoughtful. "Now I can't even disrespect Whitebeard. My plans, all of them, have been completely derailed." He scowled in self-anger. "I'm sorry, I'm useless."

The others were surprised at this. Ace never talked badly about himself this much. Saber put his hand on Ace's shoulder. "No matter what you choose, we're with you." The others nodded. Ace pointed out that they loved their ship. "We do. But we're a crew, not passengers. We follow our captain. Is anybody willing to stay behind on the PoS?" Saber asked. The others shook their heads.

Ace looked sad, still. "It's your choice, and Whitebeard has given you time to decide. You don't have to right now."

The captain said, "I still can't believe his attitude. A yonko, 'ruler of the sea' and the strongest man alive bowed his head to me." Aggie 68 said it was indeed surprising, but also in a way, not. He knew Ace's situation, at least a bit, and was doing the normal thing. Over his years, he no doubt had come into contact with sea dragons and sky dragons. They latter usually avoided ships and humans.

But sky dragons were not nearly as elusive or shy as other types. Many times they'd land on pirate ships demanding food. The humans would give them the offerings or that dragon may get offended. It would be impossible for no sky dragons to ever approach the ship. So he assumed Whitebeard was used to showing respect to the monstrous creatures.

The same had happened to the Spades, only they were more confused than demanding whenever Ace would come out. But, they still took the food. Ace was fine with that, it was how things were. Had been for a very long time. They had been around longer than humans. Old images from hundreds of years ago, drawings, carvings, of dragons showed them worshipping them.

Some old religions thought dragons were gods. Maybe that was why they were all so prideful, who knew? It got late and Ace had no desire to go inside, so Thatch brought a cart out to them. Ace didn't know what was happening with the bedroom. The Spades had probably been kicked out of the second division room due to Marco being unable to use his own.

The cart of food was placed in front of them with a smile from Thatch. "H-How's your hand?" He also looked at the broken nose he'd caused. He felt bad for it, even though he had a good reason to do it. There was a wrapping around his hand.

"Just a bruise. I'm hiding it so nobody gets too pissy about it. Where were you? I couldn't find you anywhere with my haki. I wanted to tell you something," Thatch said.

Ace looked away but decided to tell him so he didn't freak if he saw Ace jump into the ocean. "I'm part water dragon. I went on a swim." Thatch said he was jealous. Nobody could swim in the New World safely. Not with the sea kings and other creatures. Ace nodded and then asked what Thatch wanted to tell him.

"Oh, I wanted to tell you about the state of Marco's room." Ace winced, but Thatch ignored it or didn't notice. "It'll take a couple days to fix up. The walls and floor need to be replaced, along with the piping, but we luckily have more than enough supplies for it. But since Marco can't use it for now, he's gonna be staying in my room.

"I wanted to let you guys know you can still sleep in the same room you have been. Just… be prepared for the glares and whispering about it, okay? Nobody but the commanders are allowed to know. But they're just mad cause they don't understand," he assured him. "Hah, Pops was really strict. Everyone is so confused, but he's the boss so he has to do it. Man, it was so funny seeing all of them pout! I loved it."

Ace said, "I- I'm so-"

"You don't have to. You did it cause you couldn't be mean to us. A bedroom being damaged over you being cruel to us is kinda cute. Ah, no offense!" He bowed, and Ace said he wasn't angry about what he'd just said. "Well, wherever you go on a swim, make sure nobody sees, okay?"

Ace replied that that's what he was already doing. Deuce got the plates and put them on the deck inside their circle and Thatch stayed there for a long minute. Ace knew he wanted to tell him or ask him something but wasn't sure. The dragon got a bit impatient, but wasn't rude about it. He couldn't be.

"Will you tell us? About how you're, y'know, possible?" he asked slowly, cautiously. He didn't know the background of Ace. The three Whitebeard pirates had to know mating between dragons and humans was utterly impossible.

"It was an accident. I don't know if I'll tell you," Ace said simply. Thatch had a pout, but said that was fine. But that it would be really cool if he told him. Then he rolled the cart away. Then he came back.

"Oh! I forgot to say. Pops wants to talk to you about Teach some time, okay?" Ace nodded, as he'd need to explain his behavior that would no doubt happen again. The first time was completely uncontrollable. He knew it would happen if he came into close contact with the man again. Thatch left them to eat.

-x-

"I am completely against this," Rayuko said at the commander's meeting that they demanded be had about Ace's episode. His seemingly mental breakdown. Nobody knew the cause, why he'd done something so crazy, and weren't being told by the three who did know. Who were in on the secret. They weren't saying anything.

Marco couldn't bring himself to be annoyed with his brothers. They had good points, and their points of view made sense to be furious with Ace. And angry that he was being protected, especially by the two who were directly targeted. Marco's ruined bedroom and Thatch's broken nose and bitten hand.

"Me too. There's something wrong with him. He was screaming and crying after stealing an axe and going berserk in your room!" Izo exclaimed. The others were nodding. Haruta was biting his lip, probably stuck between feeling both sides. If the captain said that what happened was not a big deal, then he was believing that. But Ace had been a jackass to him as well, when he was just trying to be friendly.

Thatch said, "He was just upset."

"So he couldn't control his emotions and had to wreck things? And set Marco's dresser on _fire?"_ Blenheim asked in disbelief. "He doesn't want to be here."

Whitebeard said, "We don't know that yet. He said he'd consider it." Haruta asked why he would consider it after his episode. Though his voice wasn't accusatory, but justifiably confused. "It's complicated, son. And what we talked to him about is confidential for now. I won't be sharing what we spoke about."

"He's violent, Pops," Jozu stated. Marco was worried, and wished nobody had seen Ace how he was. Desperate to be cruel but physically unable to be. He couldn't even bring himself to say he hated them. He could shout swear words, but those weren't direct and personal insults. Marco knew that dragons didn't get into arguments because they returned respect.

He just never knew it was impossible for them. He thought it must have been customary. That they respected one another because they were peaceful. Well, besides sky dragons. They could be assholes. They'd had so many land and take food that it wasn't a big deal anymore. The food they kept in one room was explicitly for sky dragons. Usually fish and sea king meat.

So, he hadn't known that they were bound to some internal contract to return respect. Though, trashing Marco's room wasn't too respectful. He almost chuckled at his thoughts. Fine with somebody wrecking all of his belongings. At least it hadn't been in his office that held personal photos and important documents.

Whitebeard leaned forward, clearly not knowing how to navigate the situation. He knew his sons were right, but he also knew why Ace had done it and why it had not been violent or uncontrollable. It was somebody desperate to do _something._ Wanting to go home but honestly not knowing _what he could do._

"He did have an episode, but it was for reasons I cannot disclose." They protested that they were commanders and needed to know if he was unsafe.

"He's a jerk, too, Pops. Why would you want somebody like that?" Izo asked. "How do we know he won't wreck more places on the ship?" The commanders nodded at that. This was difficult. Being elusive felt impossible right then. The meeting had been right after dinner, so the three who knew the situation hadn't come up with a game plan other than to not tell the truth.

Marco didn't like lying to his brothers, but Ace needed his story and history protected. He didn't think his brothers would do anything like try to cage or abuse him. It was impossible due to what he suspected Ace's size was. Comparing the side he was in the room compared to the ship, based on the appearance of other water dragons, he was big enough to destroy the ship.

But the three of them lived there, so he wouldn't endanger their lives. If he couldn't be an asshole to them, then he couldn't attempt to drown them. "Plenty of us have been assholes before getting used to it here," Thatch pointed out. His voice was still nasally from the broken nose. But he wasn't upset with the nose or the hand. Some of the others didn't understand that, even though Thatch was the most forgiving on the ship.

Izo sighed and put his hand to his face. For them, it was like complaining to three brick walls. "What about when he growled at Teach? Who does that? He's violent and destructive!" he argued. Marco put his face in his hands with a sigh. Whitebeard sighed as well. He hated lying to his children, especially the commanders he hand picked as trustworthy, but knew Ace would never, ever join if he told his deeply personal and important secret.

And even if Pops _didn't_ want him to join, he wouldn't tell the secret either. "Sons, I've been a good judge of character for my 30 years as this family's captain. I chose Marco, who was a complete brat. Is he now?"

"That was 30 years ago! He grew up!" Kingdew shouted.

"He stopped being a brat after he realized I cared about him. Once Ace realizes, he'll probably change. He has said he will try. But I will not force him if he stays for a while and hates it." This was a complete 180 of him forcing him to join. So what had happened to change his mind? Now he knew that Ace would probably just leave regardless. Trying to hold him there for good was useless.

He was a water dragon. If he stole a boat, he could just drag it back to their ship and ditch. Plus, if he was forced to stay, his dragon side may come out and it would be a huge problem. But, as of now he hasn't tried to escape with his crew. Thatch said he went on a swim, but had not left. He came back.

"He is staying for now, and that is final," Whitebeard said, finally deciding this meeting was going nowhere. "You will be welcoming to him. If he is rude to you, deal with it. We're pirates. If you can't handle a teenager being bratty, then it is quite absurd. You are all dismissed." They all scowled and grumbled, but left.

Thatch laid his face on the table on his cheek. "This is gonna be hard, isn't it?"

Marco thought about the laughing he heard from the Spades' current room. The laughing he recognized as Ace's. His crew adored him, and wouldn't slander him by letting him think for a moment that their captain was abusive. They all knew about what he was and kept it a secret, and still followed him willingly, happily.

That really said something about Ace as both a person and a captain. But could a dragon deal with being an underling? Which was stronger, his dragon mentality, or human mentality? They could only see in the future.


	6. Making Progress?

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: I've had mean reviews and PMS before, but none pissed me off like this one did. They sounded like they thought they were the smartest person ever. And that I would beg them for their help and "experience" as a college student -_- 

**Anime_Moon00: Thank you! Maybe I should have posted the one-shot this week since this chapter is smaller. Ace is indeed a butter ball, only with stubby spikes on the outside. A hedgehog lol. And OMG that person who ripped up your notebook sounds like a sociopath. You didn't want their "help" and so they destroyed it? WTF. Not okay at all. And the message pissed me off, but I was glad I had never gotten a complaint like theirs by anybody else in the past almost 3 years. So most people didn't see their problem as a real problem.**

**Samster7241: After their long list of everything they could think of off the top of their heads that I got wrong, they insisted they never tried to be rude or take credit (which it contradictory considering their first message) and were sorry if I got offended. Just that "giving advice" is joy to them. Ugh.**

**HeroesLegacy: Aw, thank you! Yeah I was offended but also kind of in disbelief that someone would think saying I sucked at something would make me want their help? They started out polite and then just dumped on part of my writing and then offered their help. Why would I take it, lol? And what was the point of the second message other that to just be a dick?**

#### Portgasjuiceorange: Lol, a mystery I guess. I did get constructive criticism by a different person, and it's quite the difference between actual constructive criticism and just being an asshole, and the person I am complaining about was definitely the latter. 

**Shadow22739: Thank you! In the same week I had that PM and then somebody comment4 comments on my crossover where Ace goes into MHA world tell me things are wrong when... nobody would know they were wrong, as people with quirks have never met people with devil fruits? It was kind of entertaining because I could honestly just shoot most of them down, but instead I messaged them and basically politely said, "It's just a fanfiction and I don't need to make anything cannon accurate if I don't want to." They got flustered and I think we're surprised that I messaged back and were like "oh, I wouldn't have said anything about it, I just had a headache today. I didn't mean to be flamy". It kind of felt like they were lol. But it didn't offend me like the other one did.**

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**You guys are all so sweet with your supportive messages! Thank you, I'm glad I could complain here. They read on ff.net and I didn't want to be petty (I kind of did-a bit) and passive aggressively diss them where they could read it. Anyway, shorter chapter this time. And a reminder that I posted a one shot detailing Ace's childhood about his life as a dragon hybrid! And Merry Christmas eve! Christmas is kind of lonely this year, so it doesn't really feel like Christmas, and I know so many people feel that way. But I hope you all have a good one regardless, even if it isn't the best. Enjoy~**

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It was hard. Being polite to people that weren't to him was hard. Apologizing for mistakes was hard. Being patient was hard. Thanks to his wrecking of Marco's room and hurting Thatch twice made the commanders hate him. And he sent glares back. He scowled at Izo when he glared at him.

He flipped him off, unable to help it. He saw Marco sigh from the railing after seeing this. It was hard, okay!? They showed no respect to him! Why did he have to to them? It had to be mutual. So he avoided everybody but his crew, Thatch and Marco. And sometimes Whitebeard. The one who showed the most respect to him as part dragon.

He sat on the railing and looked back at the sea. He heard somebody, not a voice he recognized say they hoped he fell in. He did, too. But they wanted him to drown, not just go for a relaxing swim. He couldn't let them know he could hear them. That wasn't normal for a fire logia fruit user.

Marco walked up to him and stood at the railing beside him. "How are you?" Marco asked, looking out at the horizon, too.

"Shitty," Ace replied in a clipped voice. "Everyone is an asshole and I'm an asshole and I can't stop the cycle. I'm trying to, I am, but it feels impossible. I don't belong." Marco asked if he wanted to belong. Ace looked downward more at the side of the ship instead of the horizon. "I don't know. I don't belong anywhere."

Marco raised his brows, no doubt surprised that he admitted that statement of insecurity. "Want to talk about it?"

"I always push people away. I can't help it. I'm not supposed to be this way," Ace grumbled angrily, his fists balling. Marco asked why he wasn't supposed to be like that. Were all human/dragon hybrids testy? After all, they were part dragon. "I don't know. I only set out to see if others like me existed. I haven't found anyone in the East Blue or Paradise or here."

Marco frowned at this, but in a sad way, not angry or anything. "None of your family is like this?"

Ace sighed and was silent for a moment. He wanted to tell somebody else. Marco, so far seemed like he was responsible. Thatch was a leader, but he was also kind of over the top with some things. "I'm not supposed to be this way. It wasn't genetic, I wasn't born a dragon-human hybrid. It was an accident."

Marco was surprised. "Then… how did this happen? Do you really not like it?" Ace was trying to come up with a good, honest answer. It was hard to open up to people. Really hard, but here was somebody beside his crew and family that was trying to get to know him and listen to his problems.

He finally decided to say something, making sure nobody around was looking. "Do you know what baby dragons look like? That little stone on their chest?" Ace asked quietly. Loud enough for Marco to hear, but nobody else. There were plenty of people on deck, but none close enough to hear.

"Yeah."

"When I was three, I got caught by a dragon that lived under my island. I think it somehow mistook me for it's baby. It dragged me underwater and to a cave. There was air inside the cave and then eventually the baby came in. I touched the stone on its chest and then _this_ happened. I like swimming and being strong, but it's come with so many drawbacks.

"My attitude, my way of thinking, being all alone. Not belonging with dragons or humans. I've only had eight friends in my life. My crew and my brothers. I push away everybody else. It's hard not to," he confessed, his voice full of overwhelming sadness. Just tired. "I won't be good on your crew."

Marco was quiet for a bit, but Ace didn't push him for an answer. He finally said, "I'm sorry you feel alone. But, you have eleven friends now, right? It'll take time to be friends with everyone. Probably not everybody, there are people here even I dislike. Pops and me and Thatch think you could belong. You could have more people who liked you for you.

"We had a meeting yesterday. It didn't go well," Marco said honestly. "I think the only way everyone will give you a second chance is if you apologize." Ace stiffened automatically. The dragon in him saying he'd done nothing wrong, they deserved it after treating him like they did. "If you apologize, I'm sure they'll apologize, too. And if they don't, then you know that you were the one in the right."

He liked that reasoning. If they didn't accept his apology, _they_ were the assholes and Ace was justified in being rude. But he didn't want to. Admitting he was wrong wasn't fun or appealing. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stay if everyone hated him, but wasn't even sure he wanted to stay regardless. Maybe it didn't matter who was nice and who wasn't if he decided he didn't want to stay.

Thatch walked over with a glass of water, since Ace didn't like artificially flavored things. He took the water and looked at it before taking a sip. He sighed and turned around to see everyone glaring at him. He huffed and looked back down. The only way to not be angry and defensive was to give him no reason to be. That meant everyone else would respect him. He wouldn't need to be angry and snappish. But it was going to be hard.

Saber came over and asked if everything was okay. "Yeah. I have to a...pologize for being snappy."

Saber smiled and handed him a folded up piece of paper. Ace curiously took it and opened it. He read it, and recognized Deuce's handwriting.

_I want to say that I'm sorry for acting rudely. I was a jerk but now I'd just like to get along with everybody for however long I'm here. I want to start over._

It was simple, but better than anything Ace would have come up with. He would have been defensive, even though a simple apology like this would be what mattered most. He knew many probably wouldn't forgive him or like him, but he'd be in the right and they'd be in the wrong. "But you have to _not_ remake all of your previous mistakes. People are assholes, Cap. Gotta deal with them."

Thatch laughed and said, "Wise words. Yeah! There are tons of assholes here, don't feel like everyone is good and you're the one who is bad. You just had a bad attitude sometimes." Ace frowned at him and narrowed his eyes, though he knew he had a bad attitude. He couldn't help it, but knew it was there.

"When do I have to say it?" Ace asked in a grumpy voice. He still didn't like admitting he was wrong to people he didn't trust. He made mistakes all the time with his crew, but they just laughed it off. Ace was human, too. Even if he was part dragon, as well. Marco said sooner was better than later.

Ace looked back down at the short script. It might be hard to come off as sincere if he was scowling. And looking at a script wouldn't look like he really meant it. Well, it was easy to remember. Just a boring apology for being a jackass sometimes. Well, all the time. He would only know if he wanted to stay if the others respected him. And he got along with them.

Besides Teach. Whitebeard said they'd talk about it in a bit. A short bit, with Marco and Thatch being there as well. The only three people who might believe him on this crew. He still didn't know what was wrong about the guy, but he was bad. And not just because he smelled terrible.

His crew had done well to not be around him like Ace told them to. He avoided him, too, able to smell him near and walk the other way. He knew he'd snarl at him again. He was so bad that Ace lost control and knew he would again. So it was better to just avoid the creepy fat man. He sighed and looked up from the paper.

"When should I say this stuff?" he asked Thatch, Marco and Saber. Thatch said the sooner the better. He said dinner would be good. Then he could go to bed and not have to talk to anybody if they wanted him to. He nodded and pocketed the paper.

He looked back into the sea, feeling irritated and wishing he could go swimming. "What's it like? Swimming?" Marco asked suddenly. He was a devil fruit user so he hadn't gone swimming in a long time. He'd had his fruit for decades, apparently. Ace was so glad he could still swim. He wondered if dragons had ever eaten devil fruits before.

Ace said, "The best. I can breathe just fine. Hunting sea kings is really satisfying. Just floating or swimming around is really relaxing. I do it when I'm stressed. I used to do it nightly at home." He did, he'd go on frequent swims on the Piece of Spadile. Almost every night he'd shed some stress by swimming.

Marco looked back at the ocean and not at Ace. Thatch had walked away, and Saber was standing silently next to Ace, not taking part in the conversation. "I'm jealous. I wish I could swim. Though even if I wasn't a fruit user, swimming in the New World waters is akin to suicide."

"Not when they're afraid of you," Ace replied simply. Marco nodded, and then curiously asked how big Ace was in full dragon form. Ace was quiet for a minute and Marco waited patiently. "Maybe bigger than your ship. Probably not twice the size, though. If I was on top of it it'd capsize."

The first mate didn't seem surprised. "I figured you were around that size. Looking at when you changed trapped in my room." Ace was surprised, though, that Marco had figured that out. Ace sighed and bent over more. "You don't have to be worried or anything. Nobody here will hurt you or anything. We won't let them and if they do, they're exiled or executed." Ace jerked his head up. "Attempted murder's punishment is death. Fights are nothing, though. People get into fights all the time. As long as it doesn't damage the ship, it's fine."

Ace said that was weird. Marco amended that might be right, but it was just how it was and had always been. Dinner came quickly after Ace passed out for a while. Over the stress of the few past days. Saber carried the sleeping Ace to their room and laid him on one of the mattresses. It was nice they got to keep this room while Marco's was fixed and he shared with another commander.

When dinner came, Ace was awake and on the mattress, laying there. He didn't want to apologize but knew he had to. He just really didn't want to. He had to sound sincere or it would be for nothing and he probably wouldn't have another chance.

He surprised many when he and his crew walked into the galley and got food. The seven of them sat at a far table, away from everyone as best as they could. Ace wasn't too hungry, but did eat. Thatch had a plate set out just for him. With two large steaks with no flavoring. Then there were plain french fries. They just tasted like potatoes, so they were fine to eat. He didn't use any condiments.

Dinner passed quickly. Once people were starting to get up, the captain of the ship said for them to stay for a moment. Ace looked at the paper one more time before he shoved it in his pocket and went to the commanders table. He could be pretty loud, so the whole, giant galley echoed with his voice, similarly booming to Whitebeard's. To be heard by everybody.

"I'm sorry for being an asshole. I'm not a... good people person a lot of the time. So, try not to take anything personally. I'll try to be friendlier," he said, voice sounding sincere, using all he could to come across that way. But the words were true. He wasn't faking or lying. They were honest.

Some nodded, and he nodded back and then hurried to his empty plates and put them away to the sink to be washed and then left the room. His crew finished their meals and went after him. But by then, he was deep in the ocean. His crew found his boots on the deck, no doubt, and knew where he'd gone. He was full, so didn't hunt any sea kings. And none showed up. A couple dolphins swam by his side. Dragons didn't like eating mammals, and those creatures knew that, so the dolphins were unafraid.

They swam around him, above and under him, being playful. Ace moved his tail and legs faster to race them. They won, being smaller and faster. He was still fast, but they were faster. At least, while he was on a leisurely swim. He went back an hour later, he popped his head out of the water at the back of the ship.

He made the usual whistle, and Saber's head peeked over the side. He said Ace could come up, and a rope was thrown to him. He didn't want to use his claws to climb up the ship, and easily climbed the rope, drying off when he was back on the deck. Thatch was there, looking interested. He said he wished to see Ace. The part dragon pointed out it was too dark to see him anyways.

"What do you mean?" a voice asked from behind them. They turned around and saw Haruta there. How much had he heard? Ace got furious and was about to swear at him for eavesdropping when Deuce grabbed him and shoved his hand over his mouth. While Ace didn't like this, he was glad his first mate stopped him from fucking things up again.

But he was standing right there, not hiding behind a corner. So he wasn't listening in, he just walked over at the wrong time. "Is there some secret why you and Marco and Pops were fine with him?" Thatch nodded slowly. "Oh. Um, okay. I won't say anything." Deuce took his hand away from Ace's mouth and asked how much he'd heard. "Thatch wants to see you but it's too dark to."

It was weird to talk like that. Then Haruta saw the puddle of water at Ace's feet. "Did you fall into the ocean?!" he asked in horror. Ace looked down at the puddle.

"Yeah," Ace said. It wasn't a lie, but he jumped more than fell. He was asked why he was so chill. "I don't know. It happens sometimes. I got rescued," Ace lied easily. Nobody showed any ounce that they knew he was lying completely. They all knew why and knew it was necessary to do so. Haruta nodded and said he shouldn't be reckless at night or nobody might be there. Ace nodded, saying he knew that.

"I came out here to tell you I forgive you for telling me to fuck off. It was easy to tell you weren't a people person from the start, but I like that you're trying to change that. Hopefully we can be friends!" Haruta reminded Ace of Thatch. Chipper and cheery, wanting to be friends. Ace just nodded awkwardly. Haruta walked away with a smile.

The Spades decided to go to bed now that Ace's long swim was over. Thatch went to clean the kitchen up some more, and said he'd see him tomorrow.


	7. The Last Straw

**Shadow22739: Thank you! Yeah, I thought their messages were more ridiculous than flamey lol. And about my crossovers, if you don't know MHA, then I suggest reading "Stuck Between Two Worlds" as it's One Piece's Ace in another world. So you don't need to have read or watched MHA to understand! I used to hate crossovers too until I started writing them lol. I finished another one that literally can be so disturbing. I'll have to rate it as mature.**

**Anime_Moon00: Aww, thank you! That comment made me so happy. It's always interesting how much authors influence one another on fanfiction sites. They all agree with how the Whitebeards act even though we got very little detail about their personalities. Makes me wonder who first came up with Thatch and Haruta doing pranks.**

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**Poor baby Ace in this chapter. And omg, I was looking at Thatch's wiki page, and all of the scenes with him with Ace were all only anime! Oda didn't give any screen time for him in the manga, and I'm so happy the anime did. Anyways, enjoy~**

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Marco could tell Ace was doing his absolute best to not be an asshole anymore. He always looked tense when somebody approached him to talk. He hadn't flipped anyone off in the last 24 hours or swore at anybody. He still swore about things, but not at other people. Marco could tell Haruta wanted to be friends with him, but Ace did look uncomfortable.

So Marco approached his chipper brother when they were alone on one area of the deck. "Haruta? I think you should give Ace some more space for now," Marco suggested. Haruta pouted and asked why. "He said he's not a people person, remember?"

"But he has to get used to us to join!" Haruta whined. Marco pointed out that making him uncomfortable would not help convince him to stay. Marco also said that he would make a better relationship with Ace if he was just respectful and gave him space but was friendly. Haruta pouted again and said that was no fun.

He asked why Ace was friends with Thatch after assaulting him but wouldn't be friends with Haruta when he was being friendly. He just wanted to get along with their newest hopeful brother. Though Ace was technically only two years younger than Haruta in dragon years. He was 23, but considered himself 18. It was weird to Marco, but he'd never dare say that.

"I don't know. Ace just really isn't good at making friends. I think it will take a long time for him to be comfortable with everybody, if he ends up staying," Marco replied honestly. Ace did seem like he would have a lot of trouble. But it would make things easier if the commanders liked him. Then their respect for him would trickle down into their division members and things would be easier that way.

Haruta didn't want to wait to be friends with him, but said he'd give him more space. Then Marco heard him mumble he hated secrets as he walked away. The first mate really wondered how long it would take for Ace to be found out. Perhaps not about his dragon side, but that he could swim after everybody had already seen he had a devil fruit back with the fight with Pops.

Marco would lie to his brothers if it meant protecting Ace. He did want Ace to stay, and did see Pops' point of view. He knew Ace might never be loose and joke around and play pranks or anything like that, but he did want to show him that he could have more people like him for him. More than eight other people.

Not everyone on the crew would like or welcome him, but that was how it always was. He just hoped Ace wouldn't take it very personal. He noticed something Ace did a lot. He stood at the railing and looked at the ocean. Usually at least one of his crew members was out with him, sitting against the railing, reading or talking to him.

It made sense, Ace was a water dragon. He liked being in the ocean. Marco wanted to see what he looked like in his full form. See just how massive he was. How intimidating and strong. Maybe it would be kind of scary. Seeing how big he was compared to the ship. He really didn't think Ace would ever harm the ship. At least not on purpose. But it would still be unnerving.

But, if he joined, maybe everyone would know and accept him. He could go on swims without having to hide it or only go at night. He would bet Ace would enjoy destroying enemy ships as a dragon. Being so much more powerful than supposed strong pirates or marines. Though he'd need to stay out of sight for the marines.

Though he knew Ace could just swim up under a battleship and destroy it from the hull, nobody seeing him. He saw Ace be approached by Pops, and Ace followed him, picking up Marco and Thatch on the way. People looked at the group oddly. It was clear something was up with them by now. They ran into an unfortunate situation when Teach walked towards them. Ace put his hand over his mouth, but Marco could see his face twisting into one that was very threatening.

Teach looked confused again, but kept walking. Thatch pat Ace's back and told him good job. But when Ace took his hand away, there was blood on it that he wiped on his shorts. He'd bitten himself to keep quiet. He really had a terrible feeling about Teach, which was concerning. Marco was afraid of hearing what Ace thought of him. He hoped it was something they could prove wrong, but doubted that.

When they got to the meeting room, the door shut behind them. Marco noticed Ace tense his whole body when the door was locked. Thatch got up and unlocked the door, giving Ace a smile. He nodded, though seemed a little embarrassed, but thankful at the same time. Ace sat on one side of the table while the other three sat on the opposite side, giving him space and a barrier between them.

Marco tried not to take it personally that Ace didn't trust them near fully. He told Marco his story, but was still wary of strangers. It made sense for anybody, but especially a dragon cooped up inside a ship that was not his home with people who he didn't know enough about. Marco felt they'd definitely made progress, but there was a long road ahead of them. He wondered how long they'd stay stationary so they could go back to get the Spades' belongings.

"So, please tell us about your problems with Teach," Whitebeard said in a respectful voice, not demanding. Everyone would think his way of talking to Ace was a bit strange. Or _very_ strange. But they hadn't really spoken in front of others like they had in Pops' bedroom and Marco's after it was wrecked.

It was being fixed as they spoke, and would be finished pretty soon, so he didn't need to share a room anymore. He felt bad for those who shared rooms with bunk beds crammed inside. Ace didn't take long to start explaining. "He smells wrong. Like, this wave of evilness coming after him. It's hard to explain. I told my crew to not go near him at all.

"I really couldn't help snarling at him the first time. Deuce dragged me away before I accidentally did anything. But I can control myself better now, in the hall," Ace explained. Marco worried for a second about Ace attacking Teach, losing control just for one second and doing irreversible damage or injury.

Pops asked if he felt like he'd attack him, his voice wary but not accusing. Ace shook his head. He said he'd only attack if he or his crew were attacked first. "He's slimy scum. He's not who you think he is." Marco would usually be offended by one of his brothers being called that, especially one he'd been with for decades, but Ace was being honest, how he felt. Thatch and Pops knew that, too, and didn't show any upset.

"Since he hasn't shown it to any of us, we can do nothing about it. If any of you notice _anything_ suspicious, tell me, alright?" Ace didn't seem offended, which was good. He may be part dragon, but he was a human that could reason. Well, dragons could, too, but they trusted their instincts much more.

Marco had no doubt Teach would have been killed if he gave off that feeling to a full dragon. Made them feel in danger or around somebody threatening. "Have you ever felt that way before?" Thatch asked.

Ace said, "This was worse than the other times. But I didn't attack him, so it's different." Pops asked if he attacked people often, sounding worried. Ace looked offended for a moment before he took a few calming, deep breaths. "Only people who try to harm us. We've had more than a few people try to be friends when they were really bounty hunters.

"I can control myself," Ace said firmly, leaving no room for argument. The three nodded, but none looked happy about Teach. Marco trusted Ace's instincts, but he also trusted his brother. He knew he trusted his brother more, but would keep an eye open. He knew Pops and Thatch would, as well.

Once the short meeting was over, Ace left the room quickly. The door shut behind him, leaving the three leaders in the room. "What do you think?" Thatch asked his brother and father. "Do you think Teach is really bad? I mean, I've never seen anything from him threatening," he added in a worried voice. Marco nodded, feeling conflicted. Very conflicted.

Whitebeard sighed. "I don't think Ace would lie about this. But I also want to witness it for myself. Don't let anything on. If anybody finds out how Ace feels about Teach, it would cause problems. Especially since they wouldn't know why he thought that." The other two nodded in agreement, and then they left the room.

Marco ran into Izo in the hall, seeing him look grumpy. "What's wrong?" Marco asked. Izo said that Ace glared at him. "You did pull a gun on him, Izo. I think it will take a while for him to ever trust you." Izo deflated, knowing that was true. He said he regretted it, now. "Well, you could apologize."

"Was his sincere?" he asked, suspiciously. Marco wished they could all just start over. Ace was doing his best to not snap at anybody. Not be an asshole. Marco said he thought Ace's apology was sincere. "Not being a people person is different than being an asshole."

Marco sighed heavily, worried this was how all the commanders and crew thought. If this was kept up, Ace would leave and have a good reason to. If they had just done it how they'd planned, things might have been better. Though they probably would have taken him regardless. But that had messed things up from the start.

"Izo, please give him a second chance. You have to be able to see how hard he is working to change his attitude," Marco said sincerely. Izo had a look of guilt on his face. He could clearly see how Ace was truly _trying._ The sixteenth division commander asked what had changed Ace's mind. After he _wrecked_ Marco's room almost to the point of being unable to be repaired.

"You know Pops. He gets people. He got to Ace. Me and Thatch helped, too, I think," Marco replied. They were standing in the hall near the main bathhouse that everyone used but the commanders. They had their own bathhouse. Being a commander had a lot of luxuries. Izo sighed and looked in the direction of the exit to the deck. "You don't have to do it right now. Please, try to stop hating him."

Izo frowned and said he was mostly angry about him hurting Thatch. "He did kind of ask for the broken nose. The bite didn't break the skin." He knew it was hard to explain why Ace would bite Thatch. "And I had been restraining him by force, so he was angry and upset. Then Thatch started touching his face."

Marco was making him sound like a wild animal, which was not his intention. But Izo didn't say anything about that. Hopefully the others didn't think that way. Ace would just have to continue proving he wanted to try to be friendly. With the way everybody was glaring at him, Marco couldn't imagine how hard it was for Ace to put his pride away, something very important and prominent in dragons.

But he had a feeling Ace could do it.

-x-

Ace looked at his locket resting on the nightstand next to one of the bunks in the shared room. He wished Sabo was there to help him. But Sabo had been gone for a long time and wasn't coming back. He was feeling depressed. He had to throw away his pride, which was hard. Uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

He wanted to go home, to the ship. He picked up the pad of paper and pen on the nightstand and wrote an explanation about where he was going. It was 2:15. Surely nobody would notice him leaving if he went where the crowsnest couldn't see him. He left his boots, and quietly left the room, tiptoeing down the commanders' hall and through the halls.

They were dim, but not pitch black. He went through the exit door and was glad the hinges didn't squeal. He made it without anyone in the crowsnest seeing him. He climbed over the side of the stationary ship and dropped into the water quietly, with a modest splash that was impossible to hear anywhere beside right there.

He swam deep before shifting and swimming back to the island, able to tell where it was. He swam leisurely, enjoying the water and staying near the surface. No animals or fish bothered him on his way. When he reached the island, he shifted and walked out of the water and onto the Piece of Spadile, letting out a sigh of relief at being home. He went inside and to his own room, glad his ship was safe and had not been ransacked by anybody. He went to his scrap book and sat on his bed.

There were photos of the three brothers taken by Makino. Or when Sabo had stolen a camera from High Town and brought it back to the treehouse. They had all sorts of pictures. Luffy being an idiot, Ace looking grumpy. He knew that look. He looked grumpy, but actually was very happy. There were pictures of Luffy seeming to walk on water while he was standing on Ace's back, whose head was barely peeking out of the water.

He flipped through the book, which was in the order of his life. After the childhood and teen years were his photos with his crew that had slowly grown into a tight knit group. A small, close crew. He touched the wall of his ship. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. This was home. He had to take care of it as a captain.

But, talking to three people who barely knew him but accepted him even though he hurt them, disrespected them and destroyed their things. What was wrong with them? He laid down on his bed and looked at the ceiling. "Will you be upset if we leave?" he asked his ship, who of course didn't respond. "The others seem fine there. They're treated well. They were prisoners, too. But now they are friendly.

"I'm the only one who's messing things up. All cause I'm a monster, can't act like a normal person," he said quietly. He turned onto his side and asked himself, "Why can't I be normal? Why do I bring trouble to everybody? Why can't I change it?" He curled around his pillow and sighed.

He fell asleep for about an hour and then left the ship, saying he'd be back regardless of whether he abandoned his captain position. He got back into the water and swam back to the Moby Dick. When he got there, he sensed somebody and flattened himself to the side of the ship under the water.

He swam to the opposite side, where there was nobody. He climbed up the side quietly and peeked his head over the railing. He dried off while on the side instead of on the deck where there would be a water puddle. He couldn't get inside, though. The person had moved to the entrance into the ship. Fuck. And he knew the guy had haki based on his smell. He smelled stronger. Probably one of the commanders.

Ace could knock them out with conqueror's haki, but it would be obvious what happened. He just had to wait for him to move. Ace had a plan. He dropped back into the water and swam down as far as he could, going to the ocean floor and looking for anything. He found a big rock, but then had a better idea.

A sea king would be a good distraction. He saw a lemon shark coming to him, since he was in human form right now. He shifted into dragon form and ripped it apart and then swam up higher, the blood leaving a trail to the surface. He heard and smelled a sea king coming, and swam faster.

The sea king surfaced loudly, right next to the ship while Ace climbed the other side. He heard whoever was waiting get up and run to the side while Ace snuck into the ship and ran to his room, dry and leaving no water. He sprinted before tiptoeing back to the commanders' hall and into their room.

He closed the door quietly and went to bed. The sea king had not touched the ship since it didn't sway at all. He hoped he'd pulled it off well, not getting caught. Had the person known he'd left? That's why he was guarding the door and not in the crowsnest? He hoped not. But how would he know? It was worrisome since Ace had made sure nobody knew he was leaving.

In the morning, he changed into a pair of his shorts and an open shirt before telling his crew what had happened the night before. He burned up the note that nobody had read. None of them were mad at him, just a little bummed that it was impossible for them to go, too. "Did you have any second thoughts? About trying here?" Mihar asked.

"I already have second thoughts. I'm trying my best and people still hate me." Deuce said it wouldn't be fixed overnight. He had to prove he changed. "I'm trying. It's hard." The others nodded, and then they all went to breakfast. They ran into Izo on their way, standing against the wall. He looked up and stared at Ace suspiciously.

"Can I talk to Ace alone?" he asked, though the tone didn't have any sound of letting Ace choose. Ace looked to Deuce, who said he'd be going, too. "Okay," Izo said, and led them to the nearest storage room. The meeting room was far from there. They closed the door and flipped the light switch on.

Ace waited for him to speak, face blank and clear of any emotion, Deuce's the same. They'd give nothing away. "The island called last night that somebody went onto your ship." Deuce looked enraged. Pretending he was mad somebody went on the ship. Ace was scowling. Stupid villager! Though, it _was_ good they were looking out for the ship. He just wished they hadn't seen _him._

"They said the person caught on fire. There's only one person I can think of that can be on fire and be just fine afterwards. They also said the person came out of the water," Izo said, though those words contradicted themselves. He was hinting that the person was Ace, a devil fruit user, but had also been swimming.

"I can't swim, I'm a devil fruit user," Ace pointed out, sounding snappy at the accusations. Izo said that was the problem. Why the story didn't make sense. But he had something else to say.

He stated, "I have better observation haki than most on this ship. I know your presence disappears from the ship sometimes, for hours at most." He was watching Ace's expression closely. Ace said that he hid his presence to not be bothered. "Okay, hide your presence right now." _Fucking shithead._

Ace did his best to hide his presence. It did work, but it made him start to sweat down the back of his neck. "See, happy?" Ace snapped.

"No. Hold that for ten minutes," Izo commanded. Ace finally had enough. He was going to eat breakfast. Izo grabbed his arm and Ace yanked it back, telling him to not "fucking touch me". He glared at a surprised Izo. Then the long haired man scowled at him. "You'll never belong here." It felt like a slap to the face.

Then he left. Ace hung his head. "Ace…" Deuce said quietly, touching his shoulder. He was fine with his friends touching him. Ace sighed and sat down on one of the crates. He was hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. "Don't listen to him. He's a prick."

"I don't belong anywhere, Deuce. I don't belong with dragons, and I don't belong with humans. I'm unlikable, I know that. I thought maybe I could have friends. After Whitebeard talked to me. I told you about that. I thought maybe he was right. More people would like me. I'd have more than a total of 8 friends my entire life, two of them turning into brothers." _I hate myself._

Deuce clearly didn't know what to say, and Ace wasn't upset about that. He asked for Deuce to leave him alone for a bit. "Tell the others that I'm tired and sleeping in or something. Please." Deuce agreed, not because Ace was his captain, he was his closest friend. Deuce left, and Ace turned off the lights and sat behind a crate, his back against the wood.

Izo was an asshole, but he was right. All he did was cause trouble for everybody. He wrecked Marco's room, was a jerk, planted suspicion in the three about their family. He wasn't anything good. Maybe his crew would also be better off without him. He curled up into a ball, but no tears came, thankfully. Crying was embarrassing, even if nobody knew about it.

He stayed in there for a good two hours. Nobody came looking for him, thankfully. He eventually had a sleep attack, and stayed asleep, resting against the crate he was hiding behind.

-x-

Marco saw Izo looking cranky when he walked into the galley. Marco wondered why he'd be angry so early in the morning. He got his food and sat at the table, eating while still looking angry. Thatch asked what was wrong and Izo said that it was nothing. Clearly that was a lie, but nobody pushed him even if Haruta looked like he was going to.

When the Spades came in, without Ace, Thatch asked where their captain was. "He didn't get much sleep last night so he's sleeping in," Deuce said, sending a hateful look at Izo, who had a flash of guilt go across his face. Marco knew something had happened. He reached out his haki and was able to find Ace easily.

He wasn't in his room, he was inside one of the storage rooms, just staying stationary. Marco looked at Izo in disapproval. Whatever he'd said made Ace refuse to eat breakfast and have his crew tell a lie about why he wasn't coming. Thatch caught on as well, and asked what Izo did. The long haired man glared at his food, no longer looking guilty.

"I confronted him about where he goes. He's a liar," Izo spat. The others looked wary, not knowing what he meant. "We got a call last night about somebody suspiciously looking like Ace getting on his ship for an hour or so." The others pointed out that he was a devil fruit user. The last time he'd fallen into the water, he needed to be rescued.

"Yeah, if he couldn't swim, why would he risk drowning?" Haruta asked in confusion. Izo just said he didn't know.

Marco then questioned, "What did you say to him? He clearly isn't sleeping in, he was already awake, and now he's isolating himself in the storage room." His voice was hard and accusing. Izo scowled again, but his eyebrows drew in in regret.

"I told him he'd never belong here," Izo confessed. Thatch blew up, asking what the hell he said that for. "Because he's lying and bit my head off!"

"Because you were interrogating him!" Thatch argued. "Of course he'd be uncomfortable and snappy! How would you feel if people you were trying to be friendly with cornered you and interrogated you before insulting you?!" Then he got up and hurried out of the room. The table had mixed reactions. Some looked like they'd agreed with Izo, others looked at him in disapproval.

Pops, however, was very angry. Izo shrunk under his cold stare. "We are trying to make progress. He is trying to make progress. I am tired of all of you but three glaring at him and making him feel completely alone and unwelcome."

"He has his crew," Jiro pointed out.

"Who have all gotten along well with us and are accepted. But Ace is not," Whitebeard said coldly. The table's residents shrunk, Izo the most. Marco got up to go see Ace, but found Thatch walking back, his head down. Marco asked how Ace was.

"I tried talking to him but he walked away," Thatch said sadly. "Stupid Izo!" And he kicked the wall. Marco hung his head. "This might not work out at all. It's not working out. He's trying, I can tell. He isn't looking at everyone, he faces the ocean most of the time. He doesn't venture around the ship like his crew. He doesn't want to piss anybody off anymore."

Marco nodded solemnly, though he hadn't thought about Ace looking at the ocean to not look at the people. They didn't know when Ace would come back, but would say he was hiding somewhere and wanted to leave him be.

Pops came out and sat in his chair, looking tired and disappointed. Marco and Thatch walked over. "He left?" Whitebeard asked quietly. The two commanders nodded. "I never thought my _sons_ would hinder making someone's life better. I am beyond disappointed. All I want to do is help a hurting boy and make him feel valued. But nobody else seems to want to help." He was so sad. It was hard to see.

The ship heard about Izo's words to Ace, and there were mixed reactions. Some approved of it, others thought it was unnecessary, but the majority didn't really care. There were 1,600 people on this ship. Ace could not have possibly me and been a brat to all of them. The cuprit walked around the ship looking for Ace, saying he wanted to apologize. Even though he didn't mean it.

Ace _had_ meant his. Who knew being part dragon would cause such emotional trouble and relationship problems. Eight friends. Eleven now, but _eight_ friends. How lonely. Marco wondered if everyone knowing about what Ace was would make them understand why he acted the way he did. But then others would say he was a danger to them and the ship. It was a lose-lose situation.

Ace didn't return all day, which was becoming worrisome. He had said nothing to his crew about where he was going or when he'd come back. The crew did believe Ace found a good hiding spot and wasn't leaving it. They left him alone, not trying to find him, even though he wasn't on the ship. The three stayed out all day and into the night. Thatch brought them dinner out on deck. Izo couldn't make eye contact with his father. He was still very angry and upset with his actions. His cruel words to somebody Whitebeard wanted to keep.

Marco was wondering if being on this ship was just making life worse for him. That the way he was treated would damage his social skills even more. " _You will never belong here."_ Izo was merciless with those words. It was 12:20 when Ace came back. He climbed up the side of the ship, drying off and headed inside.

He didn't acknowledge the three, but Thatch went after him. Marco followed, and they stopped him in the hall, Thatch barely touching his shoulder. Izo had said later that Ace had snapped at him not to touch him. Yet here he let Thatch do so. "I'm sorry about Izo."

"It's fine. I'm not staying. I'm done. I'm going back home with my crew if they want to come with me," Ace said in a flat voice. Marco felt such disappointment. They'd failed completely. It was proven that Ace could open up to them if they just _tried harder._ He told Marco about his history, how he ended up like this. How he felt about himself. His insecurities.

"If we could prove you can open up -" Thatch began.

"You can't, clearly. I'm not welcome. I'm not really surprised, it's fine. I'm going to talk to my crew about leaving," Ace said and walked away. Thatch's hand dropped. He had a face of misery on. Marco was sure he was mirroring it. How could a crew known to be kind to one another do this? He was just a teenager to them. One who admitted he had people problems. Had admitted that he didn't want anybody to take it personally. When instead everyone else hated him personally.

What a fucking disgrace they were.


	8. Even More Problems!

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Ace definitely needs a break from them. And they need one, too. Not because Ace did anything wrong, but they did.

#### Hiji: Lol Kingdew is always my go-to asshole commander. He looks like one, let's be honest. On the Whitebeard Pirates wiki fandom page, a lot of them look grumpy, but he's the worst in my opinion.

#### Portgasjuiceorange: Yeah his search for others like him never goes anywhere. I must be pretty demoralizing. :(

#### DorothyVane: Izo always has an attitude in my stories, but is rarely a bad guy. This might be the first one. 

#### Niss.Arsil: Thank you! I'm glad you like it so much. And Ace won't suffer the whole story, don't worry. 

#### Shadow22739: You're welcome! I like Izo's character, too. So I'm sorry I made you nosy and cranky, Izo! 

* * *

**Shorter chapter this time. Wow, very short. Well, hopefully I can make up for it for the one shot I just posted. Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace walked down the commanders' hall to go to his room. He hoped his friends weren't too worried. That he didn't push them away, too. Izo was waiting in the hall, and Ace walked right past him. "Wait, I-"

"I'm not staying here. I hope you're happy," Ace said in a flat voice and entered the shared bedroom. Deuce was awake and reading next to the nightlight in the wall so they didn't trip over each other. He closed it when he saw Ace. Deuce stood up and hugged him. Ace hugged him back. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I messed everything up."

"No, you didn't. Everybody else did. You tried your hardest to be welcome, and they were too fucked up to accept it. It's not your fault," Deuce said strongly. The others were waking up now, too. "I actually thought for a minute that this would work. It was wishful thinking. I give up on finding anywhere to fit in. I give up searching for anybody like me."

The Spades looked pained. "I can tell some of you are happy here already. I'm the only one who isn't working here. So, if you want to stay, I understand why." The crew members were shocked, and all at once started to say they weren't leaving him. He looked down at his hands. "But you'd have more friends. A better captain. I couldn't protect any of you. I passed out while you were all vulnerable."

"You are my captain, always," Deuce said firmly. The others nodded. Ace sat on his bed. He finally let tears down his face.

"I want to be normal," he whispered, though loud enough for everybody to hear. Finamore said he was amazing and didn't have to change. "Well, I can't change. I'll be some freak my whole life. can't even be around other people without being a dick to them."

His crew started to comfort him, but he said he just wanted to go to bed. He said goodnight and went on his mattress and put the pillow over his ear.

-x-

Marco and Thatch couldn't sleep. Their father managed to, but the two commanders just couldn't fall asleep, drowning out the guilt with sleeping. They weren't tired, even though it was so late. They chatted a bit, but the voices were low and sad and not really focusing on what they were talking about. While they moped outside, Izo came out.

Thatch didn't want to speak to him. But the other commander that helped fuck everything up came over regardless of Thatch not looking at him. Izo stood next to Marco, who was sitting on the railing. "Ace said he's going to leave." Marco nodded. "Will you tell me why he acts like that? What is the secret? I know there's a secret."

"Izo, you're the _last_ person we'd ever tell Ace's secret," Thatch snapped viciously. Izo quickly apologized. "Kind of too late for that," Thatch said. He still wouldn't forgive his brother. Was still furious and disappointed. "Pops wanted to make him happy. He's lonely and scared and pushes everyone away and can't help it. He said he'd try, and he _did._ He tried hard to not be a jerk to everyone.

"And yet everybody else fucking ruined it. Didn't notice how hard he was trying to be friendlier. It would have taken time for him to open up to everyone. But he opened up to us quickly, because we were nice to him and treated him like a person and not a hindrance," Thatch said in anger and disappointment. "I still can't believe it."

Marco agreed, but didn't say anything. He knew Ace could have been happy here if things had gone better. If Pops predicted that, then Marco believed it, too. They just hadn't accounted that the rest would push him away like he pushed others away.

Thatch was looking out at the ocean lost in his thoughts before he saw something in the water. "Marco, what's that?" he asked, pointing to below them, something bumping up against the side of the ship. Marco looked down and flew down to pick it up with his talons. It was a little chest. Wanting any distraction, they popped it open, the lock old and rusty.

It was a devil fruit. A purplish blue one. Marco hadn't seen a devil fruit in a long time. Not since Jozu got his. Marco's had been bright blue and yellow. "A devil fruit. Well, you found it. Want to eat it?" Marco asked. "It might be really shitty. We all know how crappy they can be."

Thatch said he wanted a distraction, so he took a large bite out of it. Marco was surprised that he hadn't even looked at what it was before eating it. Predictably, Thatch's face soured at the horrid taste. Marco snickered at the face. There were footsteps from behind, and they turned to see Teach.

"What's up?" Thatch asked.

"Just changing shifts. I'm surprised all three of you are still awake. It's fuckin' late. Zehahaha!" Teach said. Marco commented that they really should all go to bed if they were going to try and convince Ace to stay. Then Teach lost his smile when he saw the devil fruit in Thatch's hand, huge chunk taken out of it. "Where'd you find that?"

Thatch said they saw it floating in a chest. "I don't think I would usually have eaten it without knowing what it was, but, well, there's not really anything I can do about it now," Thatch said. "I'll look it up tomorrow. Well, later today," he said. He yawned, making Marco yawn and then Izo. "Night, Teach."

"G'night," he said, his voice flat and sounding upset. Maybe he'd known about this fruit and wanted it. Well, Thatch ate it, surprisingly. Marco hoped for his sake that it wasn't something terrible. They went to their own respective rooms and fell asleep.

When Marco woke up, he found the Spades in their room packing their minimal belongings. Which were only clothes that had been made for them during their stay. It had been just over a week. Marco knew it would have taken much longer, but he felt deep down that it would have been completely worth it.

"You're really leaving?" Marco asked sadly. Thatch seemed to have already gone to the kitchen. The smaller crew nodded. They were really leaving. The yonko crew had really fucked up that bad. "We'll prepare a boat for you guys. Just leave it at the island and we'll pick it up later. But can you guys say goodbye to Thatch and Pops, first?"

They nodded, and left after everything was packed. Ace walked past Marco, his crew following as they headed to the galley for one last meal here. Marco followed from a distance, also heading to the galley. When they got inside, they noticed Thatch was moping in the corner. His sous chefs were the ones cooking.

Marco walked to Thatch, Ace looking concerned but not going over, and asked what was wrong. "My stuff keeps disappearing! I mean, the power is super cool and all, but this is annoying!" he exclaimed. Apparently everyone already knew about it. Some laughed at it, but they wore looks of pity. "I lost my favorite knife!"

Marco pat Thatch's back. They heard Whitebeard say, "At least you aren't risking destroying the world."

"I guess that's true. Your power would suck in the beginning," the head chef said. "Ace, sit with us?" Thatch asked when Ace was going to lead his crew out of the room. "We won't try to convince you to stay, promise," Thatch swore. Ace frowned, but walked over and sat down. "What was it like when you first got your devil fruit?"

Ace didn't look like he was going to respond, but he finally did, both commanders waiting patiently for a reply, which they got. Marco and Thatch did well to look like things were normal. They didn't want to guilt him or make him want to leave sooner. "I stayed in the water for a long time cause I kept catching on fire."

Deuce said he'd gotten it on an island they were stranded on. "I tied a rope to him and tied the other end to our dingy boat so he didn't burn it down." Marco had a feeling that might not be true. He could have just swam. But then again, he would be unable to speak while being a dragon under the water.

Thatch snorted and Deuce couldn't help the chuckle. "It sucked. What fruit did you eat?" He sounded interested, but it didn't mean he'd stay.

"The dark-dark fruit, oooo~. Spooky," Thatch said. Ace snorted but then frowned, and looked away. He wouldn't talk again, Marco knew that. "Anyways, apparently it's a 'special logia'. Once I get the hang of it, I'll be super cool. Even if it's kind of freaky and stole my kitchen ware," Thatch said grumpily. Deuce said he'd always wanted a devil fruit but was worried he'd get stuck with a shit one. "Oh my god, so I looked in the devil fruit encyclopedia and there are some that are just… terrible. Like the jacket-jacket fruit, where your body turns into a jacket and somebody else wears you.

"Or the munch-munch fruit where you just eat anything you want. And I don't mean food. You can eat _people_ and metal and wood and stone." Ace and the Spades looked horrified. "It's so creepy. But I'm happy I didn't get one of those." Ace nodded. After they were done eating, Marco and Thatch lowered a boat down for them. It was a rowboat, but they'd thoughtfully put a long, long chain at the front of it so Ace could drag it.

The Spades threw their stuff onto the little boat and then climbed a rope ladder down. "Ace, I'm so sorry about what happened. I really hope you move on, we didn't damage your self-esteem forever. I won't defend our brothers. They were fucking shit heads. I hope you have a good life," Thatch said, looking sad but also with a smile.

"I hope to read about your future escapades," Marco said, shaking Ace's hand. Whitebeard was there, but said nothing other than promising his secret was safe with them, and that they would tell nobody else.

"Thank you," Ace said, his voice strained. He no doubt wished he'd never been on this ship. And with good reason. They watched them row away before it suddenly got extremely fast and disappeared from view as Ace dragged the row boat. Thatch was frowning deeply.

He said, "I'm gonna miss him. He was adorable and had - _has -_ so much potential. I thought it would work out, but I guess we were wrong, huh?" Marco nodded. When they left that area of the deck, they saw everyone on deck looked guilty. Nobody was smiling in satisfaction. It was too late to feel regret with how they treated him.

"If I take in anyone else, you will _never_ try to sabotage their welcome. Am I understood?" Whitebeard asked in a booming voice, anger heard in it clearly. Those on deck nodded or said they understood. Pops sat in his chair with a sigh. Marco sat on his shoulder and Thatch went to the figurehead and attempted to use his new ability. But Marco noticed something. He'd been distracted by Ace, but it had been in the back of his mind. Teach looked _furious._ At Thatch. Marco assumed he'd wanted that fruit but hadn't gotten it. Marco kept an eye on him, and saw Pops doing the same.

It was only an hour later that a den den connected to the island rang. Haruta and Marco went to get it, Haruta in charge of the intelligence division, working on decoding things, keeping an eye on marines and other pirates. He'd been the one mostly monitoring Ace at first until Pops took interest when the teen rejected becoming a warlord.

Marco was there because he wanted to see if the Spades had made it there safely. The village was to tell them once the ship left, just to make sure they'd made it there okay.

"Hello?"

" _DID YOU FUCKING DO IT?!"_ Ace's voice boomed, making Haruta wince at how loud it was. The den den looked furious, but there were also tears in its eyes. Something had happened. Something upsetting.

"Ace? What happened?" Marco asked in worry.

" _Somebody burned down our ship!"_ Ace raged. Marco gasped and Haruta put his hand over his mouth. They couldn't believe how horrible it would be if their home, the Moby Dick burnt down. " _Someone chucked everything in it on the sand and now it's just a bunch of burnt wood!"_ There was so much pain and anguish in his voice.

"I swear, we didn't do this. Did you talk to the villagers? Did they see anybody? They should have seen a fire that big, your ship isn't small," Marco said hurriedly. None of them had done it.

" _These fuckers won't say anything about it. They won't even lie! They just won't say_ anything! _Nobody is answering us!"_ Ace shouted in anger and annoyance, frustration and grief. All negative feelings. Marco clenched his teeth. If they hadn't taken him, their ship wouldn't have been burned down. Their home was gone because the Whitebeards took them away from it.

But at least their belongings were still there. Whoever had done it had strange motives. Why? Why would anybody do this? And the village had not called that pirates or marines had docked there. Meaning it was one of those on the island.

"I'll be over soon. We'll find out who did this," Marco said in a hard voice, full of anger at anybody who would do such a thing. Such a horrid, callous thing. That ship was their home, safe haven. And for Ace to go from the situation on the Moby Dick to finding his ship burnt to ash was not fair. The universe seemed against Ace.

Ace didn't say anything for a second before telling him to hurry the fuck up. Marco did not take that anger at him. He was upset and furious, there would be no "please"s. Haruta looked angry and sad, too. Marco left the room and stormed out onto the deck. Pops was there and Thatch was still practicing with little improvement, which irritated him.

The captain saw Marco's fury. Even the red eyes that threatened to spill tears. Ace must be hurting so badly. He couldn't imagine his pain. "What happened, son?" Whitebeard asked in bafflement of the intense emotions Marco was showing.

"Somebody burned down their ship. It's gone," Marco said. Whitebeard was shocked and his eyes widened. Thatch heard and started demanding to know who it was, who did that. "Someone who lives on the island. They didn't report any pirates or marines arriving. All of their belongings were thrown out before it was burnt.

"They've asked who did it, but apparently the citizens just won't answer. They won't say a thing, won't lie or defend themselves. I'm going over there to figure it out. It's a problem, Pops. This island isn't a ship building island, and neither are those around it. They'll be stranded there," Marco said sadly, brows furrowed. He knew there was the option of the Whitebeards taking them back, but Ace would no doubt not want to return.

Though, maybe they could have a second chance, start over. Even if it meant starting from scratch with him. Marco flew off when his father nodded, saying they would sail back to the island, too.


	9. A Long Talk

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Lol, I'm not sorry for making Ace suffer. I say I am, but if I was I wouldn't! I love the angst and hurt comfort that others can offer. Don't worry, I'll make him happy later. ;)

#### Shadow22739: The god of this story loves the angst and suffering. It just makes the happy parts that much better. 

#### DorothyVane: I think this is the first story I've written where Thatch eats the fruit. I'm not sure, I've written so fucking many stories lol. 

#### Hiji: It would be awful to have your home burnt down. When the Moby Dick burnt in the anime, it made me so sad when they were all shouting about putting the fire out. Fuck you Akainu. Karma will come for you some day. 

#### Niss.Arsil: We find that out in this chapter. We shall see about the fruit in the next chapter, I think. 

* * *

Ace sat on a log in the sand on the island full of shitty people, his head in his hands. Their ship was gone. And they sure as hell didn't have the money to buy another one in the New World, where ships were extremely expensive. And from what he'd seen, this island was not a shipbuilding one.

He had a feeling whoever did it was not out of anger. They'd spared everything inside. Even the pictures hanging on the walls. Nothing fragile had been broken. Whoever did this wanted to force them to stay with the Whitebeards, for some reason. He didn't understand who could do this, something so wicked and heinous.

Apparently there were also no shipbuilding islands near. None of those on the log pose pointed to one they needed. Was their pirate career over? It was the Whitebeards' fault! If they hadn't kidnapped them, this wouldn't have happened!

But… even those who hated him, he couldn't see them having a reason for doing this. The yonko crew had said they'd return once Ace agreed to join, to get their belongings. Tears gathered in Ace's eyes. That ship wasn't just a _ship._ It was his home, their home. Their safe haven, full of memories. And now it was gone. He was glad he got to spend one last night there, but his crew didn't.

They were all around, on other logs, on the sand. All depressed. It wasn't just Ace's home, it was theirs too. Many of them had come from terrible backgrounds, and that ship had been their reprieve and safe space. Now it was gone. They had sorted everything into piles of what belonged to who. The furniture had not been spared. Beds, couches, tables. Nothing.

But everything else was there. Every last book. _Everything._ It had to have taken quite a while, so who wouldn't have noticed it? He thought there were lookouts, those that had seen him come out of the water and onto the ship. They saw _that_ but not a ship on fire, with the flames reaching high up. The mast wasn't short.

Marco arrived quickly, and landed in front of him. He saw Ace's tears, and Ace saw that Marco was crying, too. Why? He walked to Ace and hugged him. Ace didn't hug him back, uncomfortable. "I'm so, so sorry Ace." It wasn't a guilt apology, not like he was sorry _they'd_ done it. He was just sympathizing.

Any pirate would know how horrible it would be for their ship to burn down. Well, maybe not _every_ pirate, but the majority, no doubt. Marco looked at the remains of it. All that was left was some of the keel, but nothing else. He also saw all of their belongings, and frowned. It wasn't a cruel act, it had some other motive.

"C'mon, let's go see," Marco said softly. Finamore and Ducky Bree offered to stay and guard their things. Ace thanked him, and the other Spades and Marco went back into town. Marco went straight to the town hall and walked inside, his presence commanding. If Ace was a normal person, he would have been scared of this Marco.

"Who did this? Who burned down that ship? I _will_ know if you lie. You know, this is a betrayal of the Whitebeard pirates, right? We asked you to keep looking out over it, but instead you burned it into nothing. Now, who. Did. This?" Those inside were shaking, very worried. Ace didn't think Whitebeard would abandon the island, he seemed too nice, so Ace wondered what the price would be for this sin.

He waited, glaring with his arms crossed. The villagers fretted. "Do not lie to me. The rest of the crew are on their way." They all cringed. It was scary news for them, having a yonko angry like they should know he was. Marco waited with a commanding presence.

Deuce broke into a candy machine and reached inside for some. The others but Ace ate them, too. They burned down their ship, they couldn't complain about a broken candy machine. Finally, they spoke. "It wasn't all of our decision!"

"It is collectively everybody's fault for not reporting it the moment it happened," Marco replied coldly. "Now, tell me. I will not ask again." They floundered. Finally one of the women spoke. She said that it was nobody in that town. The person lived in the woods and they rarely saw him.

"Yeah fucking right. Why would you care so damn much about them if they're in the woods and you never see them?" Ace demanded. She blanched. Somebody walked in from the entrance behind them. It was a little kid, maybe eleven. He looked worried. He walked to angry-Marco with shaking legs.

Ace wondered if it was this kid, and he felt fury build inside of him. "I-I know who it was," he confessed. "It was old Zenny. He's senile, but probably did it on purpose," the boy explained. Ace was furious. Even a senile old man should fucking know better than to burn down somebody's ship.

It didn't matter if he didn't know who the Spades were, he still burned down a ship! And why did he spare all of their belongings? Marco told the boy to lead him there. He wasn't waiting for Whitebeard to arrive to meet the arsonist. Ace was asked to stay somewhere else. He demanded to know why.

"Ace, this person burned down your home. You are livid, and with reason, but a moment of losing control could be bad for you. It's still a villager on our island. We have to protect them and I _won't_ have to protect them from you," Marco explained firmly.

Why did they even care? Ace left! They should just forget about him! He had a feeling he knew what would happen. The only thing that could happen. They would offer the Spades to come back, and they'd take them to get a new ship built. Only they'd try to convince Ace to stay this time. He wasn't going to. They treated him like shit, why would he stay with them? But there was no other choice.

Probably. Unless they could hijack another ship. Ace could go looking for another pirate ship and bring it back to the island for them to go out on. But, was stealing one forever and burning it down the same thing? He was conflicted. They needed a ship, but Ace honestly didn't wish others to feel this.

And he knew there were decent pirates out there. Luffy wanted to be a pirate, he was decent. Shanks was decent. What if we stole the ship from good people? He was conflicted, but knowing he'd be leaning towards returning, even if he really didn't want to. Marco turned into phoenix form and flew into the mountains, into the forest. They went back to the beach to the other two, who were just fine and watching their things. Nobody had come. Ace hated looking at the ship's remains. She should be brought out to sea. "I'm taking her out to sea," Ace said suddenly. It was deep enough for him to be able to grab the remains and bring them out where they belonged. "Make sure nobody is around."

"Aye, captain," they said. Ace looked around and saw that no ships or people were in sight. He went into the water and shifted. His belly was on the sand, but he managed to get it out, holding his breath as his nose was in the air. He carried the wood backwards as he shimmied deeper until he was at the drop off, where he brought the pieces out.

He let them drift away. They'd become driftwood and wash up somewhere else eventually. It would live on, even if it was like this. His big slitted eyes had tears coming from them. He swam to the cliff area near the beach and climbed up, in human form. He ran back to his crew. "It's done. She'll live on somewhere else someday," Ace said, emotion in his voice, but no tears.

-x-

Marco found the house described to him easily. It was shitty, but it _was_ an old man that lived in the woods. He landed on the roof and then dropped down. It really was poorly made. And there was a huge herd of goats just hanging out around the sorry excuse for a house. There wasn't even a front door.

He didn't wait to walk inside, not knocking or making any warning that he was there. "Zenny?" he called. All he heard were the goats outside. He looked around, but sensed nobody. Not there or in the vicinity in the forest. He found a ship there, impossible to be sailed safely. He looked around, but found nobody.

Finally, he entered the inside of the ship and found Zenny. He was dead. Recently died, very recently. Marco scowled. While he didn't like the man died, Ace would be pissed with no revenge, no answer as to why his home was gone. Why it had been taken from him. He walked back out and flew down to town. He'd have the villagers deal with the body he put a blanket over.

He landed on the beach, seeing the Spades gathered in the circle, sitting on blankets from their ship. Even rugs had been thrown out. How had a short old man on death's door do this? Was there an accomplice? Well, they'd probably never know. Ace was asleep on a blanket, no doubt a sleep attack from his narcolepsy.

"Who was it?" Deuce asked.

"It was the old man, alright. But he's dead. Recently died, as in hours. You'll never know why he did this or get any sort of revenge. I'm sorry, it's very unsatisfying," Marco explained. They glanced at Ace, frowning. Marco knew Ace would not be happy with this outcome. Not at all. Zenny got away with it completely. Faced zero consequence or backlash.

Marco couldn't bring himself to care about the man's death. He hurt Ace when he was already hurting. Marco sat on one of the blankets and sighed. "What do we do now?" Aggie 68 asked. "We don't have nearly enough money to buy another ship, and there are no islands around here that even build ships."

Marco said, "We'll buy you a new ship, bring you to an island that sells them. She was only burned down because you weren't here with her. We took you away from her, so we should be the one to fix it. We can't replace her completely, but your journey isn't over." Deuce didn't look surprised. He glanced down at Ace.

"You put him through so much misery, Marco. Maybe not you directly, but everyone else. He doesn't want to go back," Deuce said and sighed. "But we have no other choice. What happened after we left?"

Marco leaned forward and said that Pops had been really upset and angry at everyone. "Disappointed. Really disappointed. He told everyone they were never to treat anyone else how they treated Ace. He wanted Ace to be part of the crew and family. Obviously, it didn't work out. Everyone looked a bit guilty, but I don't know if it would actually make them change."

Deuce said, "Don't think of this as a second chance." Marco honestly said it would be hard not to. He still really liked Ace and wanted him to stay. "Not just because he's fascinating?" the Spade's first mate said, a cold look on.

Marco was offended, but saw his point. Ace had been a brat, but Marco had gotten to like him before learning that fact. Thatch had more than he had. "Of course not. Thatch and I, and Pops, have all seen so much potential in him. And seeing him open up to us just by being friendly and respectful shows he could have done the same with others. If they were willing. They didn't seem willing.

"I can't convey how satisfying it was to see him smile with one of us. Have him tell me personal things. I know his life has been hard. I know why, at least some of it. I won't pretend that I know all about him. There's still a lot we don't know about each other. But seeing him open up made me happy. It's hard to explain." Deuce said he understood what he meant. Ace was special. Likable once you get past the spike studded wall he put up. For multiple reasons, but Deuce didn't really go into detail about the other reasons.

"We'll do our best to not recruit him again. It's his choice, it was wrong of us to trap you there. Try to force you. I won't be able to stop the others if they see the error of their ways and are being nice now. They need to apologize sincerely, like Ace had. He's a freaking dragon with inflated pride and he put it aside to apologize to people who treat him like shit, too," Marco said, grumpy at the end.

The others nodded in agreement, and that conversation was over. They were waiting for the Whitebeards to arrive and take them back. They would need to put their belongings in a storage room. They had more than enough of them.

Marco knew full well that Ace was no longer asleep. Maybe hearing this conversation would do him good.

-x-

Ace heard the whole conversation between Deuce and Marco. He'd been paralyzed but awake, something that only happened when he was very upset. Being upset on the Whitebeards' ship was nothing compared to losing his ship. But after hearing the start of the conversation, he stayed pretending to sleep.

He pretended to wake up after it was over and it was silent besides the lazy lapping of the water on the shore. He yawned, and then apologized for falling asleep. "It's fine," Saber said. "Kind of expected." Ace nodded in agreement.

"So, what happened with the old fucker?" Ace hadn't heard the conversation before the one about the Whitebeards after Ace left. Marco explained that he was dead. Ace scowled furiously, and Deuce pat his back. He put his head in his knees. "This is fucking bullshit. So, nobody will ever know why he had the audacity to burn our ship down? If he was dying, then how'd he have the energy to remove everything before destroying it?!"

Marco said he didn't know, they'd never know. "I'm sorry," Marco said sympathetically. Ace just huffed. "We will buy you all a new ship. It's partly our fault this happened. If you'd been with your ship, you could have no doubt kept some old, dying man from destroying it." Ace nodded, agreeing it was partly their fault. "Will you come back with me?"

"Not like we have a choice," Ace said. "Now we're completely helpless on your ship. You get to trap us, now. We have nowhere to go."

Marco immediately said, "Things will be different this time."

"Yeah, right," Ace grumbled. He hated sneaking off the ship to swim. Hated the effort he put in to not be himself. The effort that was in no way returned. He doubted that a second time would be any different. He was unconvinced completely. Three good people on a crew did not mean the rest of them were good, too.

They waited in awkward silence until Ace's stomach roared. The others got hungry, too. But nobody wanted to venture into town, and there weren't any places to get wide animals. He sighed. "I'm gonna get the food." Marco asked if he had the money. "Why buy something when the whole ocean is here? Hey, what do you guys want?" Ace asked his crew. Deuce said he wanted shark, the others wanted sea king meat. "Majority rules, Deuce. Sorry," Ace said sarcastically. Deuce huffed. Ace took off his boots and walked into the sea, swimming off a bit to be able to fit comfortably before changing shape and size and going for a hunt.

He found a sea king pretty easily. It looked old. It tried swimming away, but Ace easily grabbed it with his clawed hands and snapped its neck. He had his giant hand embedded in it as he swam back to shore. He raised his arm and threw it so it landed in the wake with a big splash, though not big enough to damage any of their things on the beach.

He shifted back and swam to shore, walking out of the water and drying himself off. Mihar came up and easily chopped the sea king into bits, knowing now which parts were the good parts. None of the head, but the abdomen, the long, long abdomen, were the juiciest parts. The rest of the spades hauled the chunks to shore and Ace fried them.

No plates or silverware were deemed important enough to a senile old asshole apparently. Marco went to get some sticks that were sharpened and cleaned into skewers. "I haven't had sea king meat in a while. We usually reserve that for sky dragons in case they come knocking," Marco said.

"Sky dragons are assholes," Ace said harshly. "Fucking dicks."

Deuce saw the surprised look on Marco's face and said, "Ace got in a fight with one once. It went a bit hard." Ace told him to shut it and not tell any stories about him. Deuce said, "Yes, yes. I won't make small talk anymore."

"Just not about me!" the others laughed, and Ace couldn't help but snicker. "Assholes."

"Yeah, we love you, too," Saber said. Marco looked at them in surprise, at Ace in surprise. He hadn't witnessed this Ace before. The real one. But he was only this Ace with his crew or his brothers. It was like a turtle. An angry turtle. It wouldn't come out of its shell unless it was safe enough to show itself.

One of his most powerful instincts was to never show weakness. He'd done that completely in the whole destroy-Marco's-room incident. But, otherwise, he never let his real personality come to the surface unless he felt safe to do so. On the Whitebeards' ship, he was not safe. He did laugh with Thatch, but that was rare. He was only there for a week or so. Not much laughter with anyone around but his crew.

How could they want him without even knowing him? Or at least, how could _three_ out of 1,600 want him without knowing him? Marco said he liked Ace opening up. He could understand that, but not why they tried so damn hard. All of the pirates tried hard. Marco, Thatch and Whitebeard tried hard to welcome, understand and befriend him. The rest tried their hardest to make him feel like complete shit.

After they ate, Finamore walked to the shore line and looked at something. It was night time by now and there was a bonfire going, and when the pirate came back, he was holding two bottles of sake. The others cheered that some of it was left. "I wonder if that Zenny guy drank the rest of our booze and died from that," Ace said.

Marco said he hadn't smelled like alcohol. Ace refused the drink, letting his crew have it. "C'mon, Ace. You need a drink. You need one, okay?" Ace glanced at Marco and refused again. Deuce frowned, but didn't argue anymore. Ace did in fact need a drink. He needed to get wasted completely.

But not in front of Marco and not on the safety of his own ship. Marco looked guilty at him refusing a drink when it would be appropriate. After the day he'd had. There were only two bottles, so the crew didn't get very drunk. But they were still tipsy. Ace and Marco were the ones who weren't intoxicated.

Ace went looking for something in the piles, and found them. From their vicious dodgeball match they had once. A crate of balls. Not hard balls, but they hurt if thrown at the face. He kept the crate behind one of the piles. Marco was watching him, but Ace wasn't paying attention. He grinned wickedly before he chucked one of them to Deuce's crotch.

"You asshole!" Deuce shouted, holding his pained body parts. Ace sent one flying at Aggie's head, knocking him into the sand. They then had a drunken game of dodgeball that got pretty violent, giving Saber a bloody nose. Ace was hit in the face, too, and fell backwards. He was keeping himself solid so it wasn't totally unfair.

Fifteen minutes later and all of the balls were in the ocean. "You guys are the worst," Ace said, looking at their dodgeballs floating away. They were too small for Ace to grab and he didn't want to go swimming in the dark here.

"You're the one that started it," Finamore pointed out. "We can always buy more dodge balls with a new ship. We can get a bigger deck to play on." Then they all started talking about a dream ship. The tipsy pirates fell asleep first, Ace dragging the ones in the sand to the blankets. It was cold outside, so he put other blankets on top of them and weighed them down on the sides so they didn't blow away.

Marco was still awake, keeping his flames up to brighten the area. The firewood was spent. Ace sat back on the sand, his shoes off long ago and his feet covered in sand. "You're a good captain," Marco said. "They adore you." The partial dragon's face turned a bit pink, though it was hard to see in that lighting.

Ace shrugged. "They're my second family. I pick the good ones."

"What makes them good? How do you know?" Marco wondered.

Ace laid on his back and said, "I can just tell. Like how I can tell bad people apart. It's only with strong ones, though. Teach was strong in negative terms. They're strong in positive terms." Marco asked if there were any on the Whitebeard ship. Ace was quiet for a moment before deciding to tell the truth. "A lot. But experience dictates how I feel more than dragon instincts. Nobody ever made me feel like my instincts were right. So, many, but none at the same time."

Marco winced. "What about me and Thatch?"

Ace shrugged and said, "Only once I got along with you and you showed respect. I hated you guys just as much as everybody else. You tried to steal my life away to be forced into yours."

"I'm sorry, Ace."

"A bit too late, but I accept your apology. I had actually considered joining. Maybe more people would like me, be friends with me. Accept me. But it was just wishful thinking. Didn't end up panning out, clearly," Ace said honestly and then yawned.

He turned on his side to go to sleep. "Would you give us a second chance? To show you you were right about the good ones?"

"I don't know, Marco. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Marco nodded. Ace added one thing before falling back asleep. "If I'm right about the good ones, I'm right about the bad ones, too." He dozed off with Marco keeping watch.


	10. Accidental Prevention

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Hopefully he can be like that someday with the Whitebeards. Well, they hope that.

#### Vann_Dorothy: Yeah, they had no one to take their anger out on or punish for burning down their home. At least they all know it wasn't any of the Whitebeards.

#### Namehoarder: WOOHOO

#### Otaku_Girl2176: Thank you! Lol I actually thought of Zenny from that old guy from the filler episode about the man that was dying but not really and they were helping him build a ship to leave with all his sheep. 

* * *

**More stuff happens! I finished one of my stories and are posting the next one, go check it out! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was a very good person. Marco couldn't believe they blew it with someone like him. The Ace he'd seen here on the beach was completely different than the snappy, defensive Ace on the Moby Dick. The one that caused problems that were made worse by the others. Ace could have been more than angry. He honestly could have been afraid, too.

Trapped away from home in an unfamiliar place with hundreds of unfamiliar people. It would be overwhelming for anyone. Especially when Ace had serious social problems. He didn't trust easily, or open up easily. But, he'd said there were a lot of good people on the crew. If only his family had changed and welcomed him.

He could have really become a little brother. He sighed sadly. Then he thought about Ace's reminder of Teach. Was he really rotten? Marco wished he'd brought a den den mushi, but he'd left in fury and fervor. To get to Ace fast. He looked up at the starry sky, wondering how things would work out. If he was right, or embarrassingly wrong. About this time being different. About a second chance.

He wouldn't push him. Clearly force was not something that worked positively on Ace. He'll fight back in full. It was honestly impressive that his overwhelming anger, and probably fear, didn't trigger his dragon side to attack anybody. He hadn't laid a hand on any of them. Besides when he broke Thatch's nose and bit him. It was only against Thatch.

He remembered Izo grabbed him roughly, and Ace shoved him away. Marco was starting to realize that Ace had more sides than he'd thought. He was more complex. Two completely different species competed in his head, competed in dictating his actions and feelings. It had to be difficult for him. Marco had some new instincts when he ate his phoenix fruit, how all zoan users feel, but devil fruits were not originally _them_.

But Ace wasn't originally part dragon. Just since he was three years old. From before he could really remember. So to him, he'd always been this way. Marco felt bad for him. And felt bad for his original actions. He was a jerk, too. It was only apologizing that gave the chance for Ace to accept him and befriend. More like a middle between friend and acquaintance.

The first mate watched Ace sleep, looking like a regular teenager. Marco wished he could tell everybody what he knew, knowing they'd understand more, but he would shatter any and all trust that Ace had in him. So he would not be telling anybody else. He was lost in thought before he saw something big in the darkness. He was surprised that the crew was sailing during the night.

He didn't want to see Ace close up again, but there was nothing to do about it. "Ace, they're here," Marco said, not touching Ace and risking scaring or upsetting him. "Ace, wake up." Ace just mumbled in his sleep. Marco tried waking him up by touching his shoulder, but it set him off and he freaked out, clawing at Marco as he jerked awake.

Marco was shocked. "Don't touch me while I sleep," Ace warned. "Anyone other than my crew shouldn't touch me while I'm sleeping." Marco nodded, still shocked at the reaction. Marco's voice was a little shaky for a few words before he was composed again.

"The Moby Dick is here. Do you want to camp out here tonight? Then we can put all your stuff on the ship tomorrow morning?" Marco offered. Ace looked to his crew, still sleeping like babies, and said he wanted to sleep free for a night. _Free. Ace was trapped with us. Caged._ How would a creature like a dragon feel being caged?

Ace was so complex, but piece by piece, Marco felt like he was figuring him out better. Learning more just by observations and wandering thoughts. "Okay. I'll go tell them to shut up." Ace thanked him, and went back to sleep.

Marco flew to the ship, landing on the deck. Not everyone was out, as it was very late. Pops was there and Thatch, too. Marco couldn't believe it had only been one day from Ace leaving the ship to now. "How is he?" Whitebeard asked. Marco put a finger to his lips, saying the Spades were sleeping on the beach that night.

Thatch asked if he was okay. "As well as he can be. He was more open a little bit ago with his crew. They got drunk and played dodgeball. I think he could fit in here if we treated him better. I hope it's not a problem I promised we'd buy a new ship for them and take them to a better island."

Whitebeard said that was what he was planning on doing in the first place. "Those poor brats. Losing their ship like that. Did you find the culprit?" Marco scoffed.

"Yeah. An old, senile man in the woods. And he's also dead. No explanation to his motive, no consequences. It made the Spades pretty angry, but I would be, too," Marco explained. Izo was there, walking up and looking sad. He looked guilty. As he should be. Izo asked how he was about leaving that morning. "He left and then found his ship was gone. He feels pretty shitty, but his crew made it better for him after dinner. He refused to drink in front of me, though. I think he was uneasy."

He thought for a moment and decided to say, "Tell everyone to never touch Ace when he's sleeping. He got upset when he woke up with me touching him without permission or warning." He made a pointed look at Izo, knowing he had roughly grabbed Ace and he'd shouted at him. At least he hadn't clawed him.

He turned back to Pops and said they'd bring the things up the next morning. He wanted the ship to be quieter and let them sleep peacefully. The ship was pretty far from the shore, but sounds echoed at night. Those on deck agreed. Marco looked around before asking Whitebeard if anything had happened with the person Ace named.

"He's really pissy with me," Thatch said quietly, all of them being quiet. "I think he's angry I ate the dark-dark fruit. Well, I was the one to find it first, it's not weird to think that I ate it," he added. "Besides that, no real change." Marco nodded, saying that was good. He didn't want to deal with anything about that tonight.

He just wanted to go to bed, where he would probably think a long time. "Get some rest, son." Thatch said he couldn't sleep and was going to practice more with his new, frustrating devil fruit. Marco nodded, thinking Ace could help him out since he's a pro-logia, the only one on the crew. Well, on the ship. Ace wasn't part of their crew.

-x-

Ace woke up at 1:50 to a bad feeling in the air. He looked around the beach, but saw nobody and nothing suspicious. Some of the balls had drifted back and were on the sandy beach. He still felt the bad feeling, and turned to feel it coming from the Moby Dick. He narrowed his eyes since it was pretty far, and saw the fat guy, Teach, approaching Thatch, who was on the figurehead, distracted.

Ace knew this was bad, the way Teach was sneaking behind him. Ace couldn't get there in time to stop him, so he picked up one of the dodgeballs and threw his arm as hard as he could, shooting the ball like an asteroid and hitting Teach in the shoulder, just barely under his neck. But he heard a crack and a shout of pain.

This got Thatch's attention and he jerked up, turning around to see a screaming Teach, holding a shattered upper arm and shoulder joint. People on the ship came out from the screams, and Ace watched and listened as Thatch said what had happened. Ace was still tired, so he walked back to his blanket and laid down, going back to sleep.

The bad feeling had disappeared. He had still been sleepy, so it was foggy for him in the morning. He woke up to Finamore shaking him awake. Ace, of course, did not lash out, but woke up like a normal person. He recognized the voice and scent of his crew, so his body didn't lash out like it had with Marco.

He did feel bad for that. But he hated being touched by people he wasn't close to. _Especially_ when he wasn't expecting it. That was why he freaked out when Izo had suddenly, harshly, grabbed his arm. He sat up and yawned, covered in sand, but it wasn't a big deal. He couldn't burn the sand off of it would melt to glass and be a pain.

Ace stood up and messed his hair up to get the sand out before standing and looking around. The Moby Dick was a bit far away from the shore. It was huge and impossible not to notice. He sighed, not excited to return. "It's our only option, Cap," Deuce said.

"I know. Doesn't mean I like it," Ace said. Marco flew over after seeing Ace was awake. He looked desperate. "What's wrong?" he asked, the first mate looking really perplexed. He asked if Ace remembered last night. "When we went to sleep?"

"After that. With Thatch?" Ace frowned, and was trying to think. He remembered throwing a dodgeball and a bad feeling, but that was it.

He replied, "I remember I got a bad feeling and then threw a ball at it. I was half dead, I don't remember much. Why?" Ace asked curiously, wondering what had been so big that it freaked Marco out like this. He seemed kind of unshakable. He had emotions, when he sympathized with the Spades, but he always seemed composed. Now he didn't.

"Teach tried to stab Thatch last night. You threw a dodgeball at him from the shore and it shattered his arm, making Thatch realize what was happening. You saved him," Marco said. He bowed to Ace, who didn't remember saving Thatch, but was of course glad he had woken up.

Ace asked what happened to him afterwards. "He's in the brig. You were right from the beginning." Ace said he told them so, but it wasn't in a disrespectful way. "We're all really thankful for that."

"Great. They'll be nice to me now that I saved their friend," Ace huffed. Marco quickly said they wanted to try again before that, but that saving Thatch was very appreciated. Ace was glad he saved Thatch, too. He was a good man. Reminded him of Luffy a bit. Marco was like a more boring Sabo. He snickered at it, unable to help himself.

"What?"

"Thatch is a smarter Luffy and you're a more boring Sabo." His crew started laughing and Ace joined in. "They are, though! And Marco even looks like Sabo, you have to admit."

Deuce said, "Being blonde doesn't mean they all look alike." But it was in amusement. Marco asked what they were talking about. "Luffy is Ace's dumb little brother. Sabo was his smarter brother." Marco noticed the past tense, since his face fell.

Ace said, "He was killed a long time ago. Luffy's still alive. He's going to be the next pirate king." Marco slowly asked if Sabo was killed by pirates. "No, he was killed by a celestial dragon. I wasn't there for him. But I'm happy thinking about him. It's not too sad most of the time." Ace saw some Whitebeards coming to the shore in a little boat.

Thatch was looking very uncomfortable in the small craft, being a new devil fruit user now. Water should make him worry. Ace, of course, never needed to fear the water. His expression and demeanor hardened the moment they touched the shore. He was on the defensive again. He would be irritated if everybody was nice cause he saved Thatch.

Though, maybe it would make them realize being an asshole isn't his only quality. Though he didn't consider himself a hero. Thatch was a friend of a sorts. Having him killed by Teach would have been terrible. And he was satisfied he was right about the man being rotten. Though telling them hadn't changed the outcome. A dodgeball had. It was ridiculous, but very lucky.

Really, taken out of commission with a fucking _dodgeball._ How embarrassing. When the ship reached the shore, Ace had his arms crossed tightly, face blank. Thatch ran at him and threw his arms out. He was going to hug Ace. It wasn't a sudden move, he wouldn't lash out automatically.

He let Thatch hug him and blubber into his shoulder about thanking him and how cool he was and how he was glad he wasn't killed. "That was so cool! I was _so_ confused, though. I was practicing with the devil fruit - which is impossible to see in the dark, psh - and then Teach was screaming with a knife! And there was a ripped apart dodgeball there! I saw you standing up on the beach and then you just went back to sleep!"

This was the first time hearing the story from his view, since all of them had been sleeping. "Have you been going easy on us all this time?!" Saber demanded. Ace hid a smile and shrugged.

"Maybe. Maybe I don't want to kill you," he said.

"Ah, good point," Aggie 68 admitted. "But damn. What a throw." The commanders that were in the little boat nodded at Aggie's statement. Ace looked at them coldly. Especially Izo, who was the one to push him over the edge and make him just give up on being accepted anywhere other than on his ship. His old ship…

Izo bowed, and apologized for being a prick. That what he said was cruel and unnecessary and just totally a dick move. Thatch nodded in agreement, his own arms crossed. Ace still didn't like Izo at all. First, he always was just passive aggressive with looks, then he pulled a _gun_ on him and then said something cruel to him that broke him.

Being away made things better, even if it was for less than 24 hours. "I'm really sorry, and I'd like to start over." Ace didn't respond, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to piss him off. He finally settled with "Okay." He seemed to realize he was not forgiven, but wasn't upset by that. He needed to prove to Ace he deserved respect and forgiveness. They all did.

If he was going to be sailing with them for two months at least, he might want to try harder. He would try harder, but he would accept them being jerks to him. Marco broke the tension and asked if they wanted to start moving everything onto the ship. They nodded. Thatch went up to Ace and gave him another hug, a softer one this time.

"I'm so sorry about your ship. So sorry," he said sincerely. Ace nodded. He didn't say anything other than, "Fucking old man." Thatch sighed and looked around, seeing no remains. Ace said his crew had dragged the remains out to sea to float away.

"There wasn't much left," Deuce said. "It was completely burnt away. There were barely any ashes." He walked to the little boat and started loading things on. The Spade first mate looked at the commanders, including Izo and several Ace had never spoken to. "You will not be pricks to Ace this time."

They nodded, and started to help load things up, having brought boxes to put things in. Deuce seemed to approve of the reaction. Ace was doing his best to start over. His very best, but the hurt they'd caused him kept reminding him that they weren't good people like how they felt. They were mean and nasty and stubborn.

But he also knew he had been as well. He just hoped they tried like he had. He'd rather not hate and be hated for the next few months. The partial dragon started to load books and papers into one of the boxes. Marco was flying them back. It didn't take long for everything to be ready and loaded.

"Wanna go back to the ship? We've already restocked and that old coot is gone, so we don't have anybody to punish, sadly. Though someone will be speaking to the citizens about their refusal of information to me until I pushed hard," Marco said, sounding slightly annoyed. Ace didn't really want to go back, but there was no other place to go. He nodded.

He wished he could just swim there. He would have to be hiding again. Well, hopefully it would be easier this time. He walked into the cramped boat. It was big enough for everyone to fit, but not comfortably. Thatch was looking at the water in worry. "You have lots of people to rescue you if you fall," Ace said with a yawn. He looked back at where the last place he saw his ship was.

His face fell into pain, and he saw his crew mirroring that look. The boat was silent until Thatch asked if Ace would help him with his new devil fruit. "You're a logia, too," Thatch pointed out. Ace frowned and said he guessed he could try. When he made eye contact with Izo, his eyes narrowed automatically. He sighed and put his head in his hands in annoyance.

 _Fucking get it together. Don't make it any worse for yourself._ Izo didn't say anything about it. Well, not about the glaring at him. He hadn't returned the glare or that would have made him think it was a challenge. "I apologize for interrogating you."

Deuce said, "Yeah. It was very inappropriate." Ace looked at him in slight surprise. "I was there, too, remember?" He was glaring at Izo, who looked guilty. The other commanders looked awkward and Thatch was whistling. When they got back to the ship, Ace was more than glad to get off of the tiny boat with those people. Especially Izo. That guy would need to do a lot to make Ace think of him as anything but an asshole. A pushy one, a nosy one.

He tried to tell him to stop thinking so negatively. When he saw Whitebeard on his throne, Ace walked up to him and clenched his jaw and tried to bow in thanks before the captain said, "No thanks is needed. It was partly our doing that your ship is gone, and you also saved Thatch. It was quite the throw. I wouldn't want to be on the opposite team of you. Gurarara."

Ace nodded, glad he didn't have to bow and be ashamed of it. He saw a miniscule nod from Whitebeard. It was appreciated. Showing that he still respected Ace as a dragon. Even if he seemed to want to treat Ace as mostly a human, he was still part dragon and Whitebeard was keeping that in mind. It seemed Thatch was unable to. But, Luffy had been, too.

* * *

**Almost always I have Teach get caught in the act or having already hurt someone. So I made him lose in a humiliating way. He got caught when a dodgeball broke his arm. Yes, that's right. Lol and Ace just went back to sleep after that. See you next week!**


	11. Second Chances?

**redninjan: Deuce is the OG angel in this one. Garp would totally claim it was his influences (his beatings) that made Ace super strong lol.**

#### MaskedPyro: Thank you! Lol, I'm happy no one seems to think it was stupid. It sure was different than most of my Teach betrayals!

#### Vann_Dorothy: I think Ace would have ripped apart all of Izo's kimonos if he wanted revenge on him at all. He has claws, after all lol. But yeah, a dodgeball... how pathetic you sniveling asshole!

#### Shadow22739: Yeah, Ace's third weapon behind his devil fruit and dragon stuff is that strong ass throw lol. Garp would probably enjoy having a cannon ball fight against Ace. Just throwing cannon balls at each other and seeing if any of them hit. Teach is going out in a humiliating way, which was really satisfied. Though will it actually help his reputation by some people? Hmm...

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Lol not Ace's problem. He just wanted to sleep. 

#### Crimecity: I wonder how strong Teach actually was before he got the fruit. I mean, he did scar Shanks, but that could have been when Shanks was a cabin boy or something and they met when they were both young, which wouldn't be impressive at all. But his future potential was snipped at the bud by a damn dodgeball and a tired teen. 

* * *

**A dash of feels in this one, and surprises! Enjoy~**

* * *

The Spades sighed, but not in relief or happiness. It would be a long time sailing with them. They all had to try and get along. But Ace knew they wouldn't tolerate anybody treating him wrong. They'd seen what it had done to Ace the first time. He was their captain, but the protecting went both ways, whether Ace liked that or not.

They left the island immediately. The beach was the last place he could be himself at. He silently said goodbye and a thanks. Ace was sitting at the railing, his legs dangling through the gaps in the railings. Thatch sat next to him, but Ace didn't look. "You okay?" the head chef asked quietly. Ace shrugged one shoulder. He was as okay as he could be. "This time will be different."

Ace sighed, and said he hoped he was right. He looked out at the ocean, sad that he would have to hide venturing out in it. "I wish I didn't have to hide going swimming," Ace said quietly. "Last time, the night Izo knew I was gone and was waiting for me to corner me, I couldn't get back up. So I had to do this whole roundabout plan just to get inside."

Thatch asked what it had been. "I swam down and caught a shark and swam back up with it, dragging the smell of blood, luring a sea king. I put the shark a bit away from one side of the ship, where it surfaced loudly to eat it. I climbed up the opposite side and ran inside."

Thatch was gaping. Ace frowned, wishing he hadn't said a thing. Luring a sea king to the ship wasn't exactly a good thing to do. "That was hella smart," Thatch said with a laugh. "Izo is nosy, but I think he learned his lesson with you," he said sadly.

Ace didn't want to turn around and see the glares. Continue the hell that was only the last week or so. He couldn't do it for months. He just couldn't. It would be easier for the Spades to get one of the smaller boats and Ace would just drag them to the next island, maybe the Whitebeards would just give them the money for a ship.

But that would involve explaining how they'd get to the next island in a small boat in the New World. "You're acting differently now," Thatch said. "Why?" Ace didn't feel the question was meant to be disrespectful. He was quiet for a moment, trying to come up with a satisfactory answer.

"I won't be getting off of this ship and going home. Home is gone forever. I don't want to be hated the whole time. Last time it fuckin' sucked," Ace explained. Thatch turned around, but Ace didn't. He just continued to look at the endless ocean. He wondered if being out on the sea was a wish also partly because he was a sea dragon. Maybe the ocean just called to him. He would be able to go into it anytime he wanted.

He didn't have to venture out of the forest and to the only secluded beach on the island. He could just jump over the side and go on a swim. That's how it had been since he set off from the beginning. Now, he had to be careful and make plans to go on swims. It was definitely not ideal.

"I really do think this time will be different. But I won't try to convince you. I guess we'll just have to see if Marco and I are right, and that everyone finally pulled their heads out of their asses. What? I can criticize my brothers harshly if they deserve it. Even Pops got really angry at them. I was sure glad to not be on the receiving end of that _look_ he gave.

"He was so pissed and upset about how and why you left. So angry at everybody for treating you so badly," Thatch explained. Ace wanted to change the subject, so he did, he asked why nobody had noticed Teach was rotten. Not just his appearance. The chef sighed, looking sad. Ace regretted his blunt words. Teach had been family to him, but he tried to kill him. Thatch shouldn't like him anymore. It didn't make sense.

Ace waited for an answer. It wasn't right for him to take time to answer questions and then get impatient with another doing the same. At least, people who were patient enough for Ace to return the favor to them.

"Nobody knew. It's shameful. Nobody. Knew. He confessed almost the moment he was apprehended, his arm mangled badly from the powerful throw. Pretty embarrassing, going down from a dodgeball.

"Anyways, he apparently was only on this crew for the dark-dark fruit. And I'm so happy I ate it immediately. That would have been really bad in his hands!" Ace frowned at him. He awkwardly said he was sorry they had a traitor aboard. He was trying so hard to be polite. He wanted to be accepted this time. He didn't want the glares. He wouldn't be the threatening side of himself. He would do his best to act like a normal human.

Thatch looked down, frowning deeply suddenly. "I just want to thank you, for telling us the first time and then the whole saving-my-life thing," he said sincerely. He leaned to the side and put his head on Ace's shoulder. Ace stiffened, and Thatch asked if this was okay. He knew Ace didn't like being touched, so he wondered if normal things like this were okay.

"I… I guess? I don't want other people touching me, though. People I don't like. I guess this is okay. Anyone else does it and I won't be so cool with it… So, have people caught on about me having growled at Teach? And then that he did this - tried to do it?" Ace asked. It was weird having Thatch doing this.

Well, he did it to Deuce sometimes and Luffy always had done it to him. He guessed it was just a way to tell someone that they feel vulnerable without saying it. Ace might understand it, but didn't want anyone he didn't like or know well doing it. They'd get a shove away at best and attacked at worst.

Thatch answered, "Yeah. The commanders especially. The growl was mostly heard at the commanders' table. That itself changed things. You look just like a teenager. I think they didn't take you seriously first. But then this and your previous reaction showed you weren't just volatile or anything. Not violent or brutish. I'm not trying to insult you, I promise!" he said when he saw Ace's face getting red.

He gave a jerking nod. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to word it like that." Ace was glad he was no longer leaning on his shoulder. He felt better with him not doing that. He knew Thatch for, what, like a week? Ace may have decided he liked him and would be friendly, but he wasn't special to him. Ace could leave and never look back. He wouldn't miss anyone here.

Maybe it was heartless, but when he left, he didn't feel an ounce of regret, didn't miss either of them. He was glad to be gone, leaving everybody. "Can you finish your point?" Ace asked. Thatch had just totally insulted him and wouldn't finish his thought. Ace was offended, he couldn't help it. It was very disrespectful. He wanted to leave, get up and go somewhere else.

"We-well, I just mean that they know you're serious. Not a reckless and foolish rookie."

But Ace was foolish. He'd fought and lost to Whitebeard like a chump. He didn't say it out loud. Thatch already offended him enough, he wouldn't do it to himself. Ace nodded once and then got up and left. He was still part dragon. It was a miracle Ace hadn't snapped at Thatch. So, they all thought he was just some violent and brutish idiot out to get himself killed. He heard Thatch apologize, but Ace didn't turn around. He went to their room. And he ignored everyone he passed.

He went into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. He flopped onto the bed he'd been using on the ship, and put his face in his pillow. There was a knock on the door, and he could smell it was Deuce. "C'm in," he called. Deuce walked in and sat on the mattress on the floor that he had been using. "You okay? I couldn't help but overhear Thatch being an idiot."

Ace scowled. "I know he was just trying to be honest, but he still called me a bunch of degrading things. Brutish, reckless, stupid-"

"He never said stupid," Deuce said. Ace pointed out that "not taking him seriously" had to mean they thought he was stupid. "But Thatch didn't think any of that. We knew everyone else doesn- didn't like you." Ace huffed and turned away.

"I'm trying, okay? I let Thatch lean on my shoulder. I didn't like it, but I let him! I don't want them all getting comfortable and touchy feely with me. They made me _miserable,"_ he spat out. "I want every single one of them to apologize to me and then bow and show respect." Deuce said that probably wasn't going to happen. "Whitebeard did it!"

Deuce said he was weird. And smart. "He figured it out easily, and accepted it. He's weird and smart. I don't think you should expect the same from everybody else." Ace started to say that they _should._ "They _won't,_ Ace. You cannot expect anything from all of them like from what Whitebeard did. Don't expect them to get you, to treat you how you think you should be."

Ace looked hurt. "I _think_ I should be?"

Deuce nodded. "They don't know, Ace. So you can't expect them to bow to you. Friends don't even bow to each other. Did Luffy and Sabo ever bow to you?" Ace shook his head. "Do we ever bow to you?" He shook his head again. "But do you get respect from us? You're still our friend and captain."

"It's different. You all know. They don't and I won't let them, but-" Deuce nodded, asking if he realized the problem. "Don't act like I'm stupid."

"I'm your best friend, I can call or think you're stupid if I want." Ace shoved his shoulder, but not in anger. "What's the problem?" Ace huffed and looked away.

He grumbled, "I can't expect them to treat me like a dragon if they don't know." Deuce nodded. "But still! I hate being disrespected." Deuce said they might come to the conclusion that he was a conceited brat. "You're really not making me feel good, Deuce." The first mate seemed to just see the look on Ace's face. "I can't have you think I'm stupid, too."

He looked completely ashamed. "I'm sorry, Ace. That was totally uncalled for. I didn't mean all of that, that's not _my_ opinion. I'm just saying that the Whitebeards might feel that way." Ace pulled his legs to his chest, hunching his back. What Deuce said really hurt. Because he recognized that Ace came off that way.

"I can't do anything right. It's my fault the PoS is gone. It's my fault, both times we've been trapped here."

Deuce said, "That's _not_ your fau-"

"I'm the captain, Deuce! The safety of my crew and our ship falls on my shoulders. And look where we are! Cause _I_ wanted to fight Whitebeard and _I_ lost. I passed out and you guys were beat up! It's all _my_ fault!" Ace shouted. Deuce was shocked. "Please, go away."

"No," Deuce said. Ace glared at him. He told him to go away again, he was serious about it. "No, I'm not gonna let you just stay in here and drown in depression and self-hatred. Never again." Ace knew he was referencing. "You're not caged here. You can go off on your own if you have a plan, you're not a prisoner."

Ace said, "To _you_ , maybe. I feel completely caged. If I make another wrong step, some other Izo will figure out something weird and then everything will happen again, but this time, there's nowhere to go back to! Home is _gone!_ " The crew didn't know how fucking _important_ the Piece of Spadile was to him. It was his first accomplishment. He got his own home. A real home, not the bandit's hut, not a cold treehouse. That ship was his haven. He could be himself there, he had friends there.

In a world that would hunt and persecute him, that ship was the safest place in the world for him. And he'd never know why it was taken from him. Would never get revenge. "You guys don't get it. It was a ship and a home for you, but it was different for me. In a world that would think I'm some freak, dangerous, unnatural, _wrong,_ that place was my safe space. I could be myself, without risk of being discovered.

"I could be happy, I didn't have to hide anything. I wasn't afraid there! You think I'm not scared of meeting new people? That they won't figure it out and then betray me? Report it to the government and then send hunters and bounty hunters at me? There's nobody like me. You're my best friend, but you could never understand. _Nobody_ can." Deuce had tears in his eyes listening to Ace admitting all of the things he tried to keep hidden. To stay strong.

He was supposed to be the captain. He was the pillar of support for his crew. Now he wasn't even their captain. They were on Whitebeard's ship, not his. "But, nobody will go after you if they don't know. You're good at hiding it, you never lose control and shift."

Ace growled in frustration. He finally stood up and pulled his shorts leg up, revealing the thing he'd kept hidden for many years. "It gets bigger every year. Someday, my whole human body will be covered by it and I'll never, _ever_ have a normal life. My time is limited and I didn't want to spend it here!"

The dark bluish green scales that covered his left upper thigh. The marks on the other side were slower at growing. He'd kept it hidden from everybody. Why he didn't take his shorts off around other people, why he didn't bathe with them. Deuce looked shocked and then hurt. He asked why Ace hadn't told him. "Because there was no point in worrying you," Ace said, letting go of the short leg so it could fall back down. He laid down and faced the wall. "Go away."

Finally, Deuce left. Ace curled into a ball and cried into the pillow, hating his weakness.

-x-

"I think I fucked up," Thatch said to Marco suddenly. Marco groaned and asked what it was this time. "I hurt Ace's feelings and he stormed off. And I heard him shouting in his room." Marco asked what he'd said. "I sort of told him everyone didn't take him seriously and thought he was violent and brutish." Marco demanded to know why he'd said that. "It was an accident! I was trying to tell him that everyone thought better of him than before but it came out all wrong. I totally offended him, his face was bright red."

Marco sat down and sighed. They were not one of the storage rooms Marco was surveying to make into a new bedroom. His was fixed by then. But seven people sharing one room was more than the four to a room in most of the bedrooms that weren't for commanders. They wanted to make the Spades comfortable there.

"Ace has more issues than we can see and observe. He doesn't trust easily because he can't," Marco said. Thatch said he knew that already. "He doesn't trust because it's dangerous. Think of him as the rarest mermaid ever. Can you imagine how much he would be coveted if the world found out?" Marco asked.

Thatch deflated. "I hadn't thought about it like that. I just thought it was because of his pride and all. But now it's easy to see… Does he think _we'll_ turn him in? No one would ever do that here!" Marco sighed.

"We just had a betrayal, Thatch. One of our own tried to _kill_ you. Your supposed brother. Ace is a newby, not even part of the crew. Do you think everyone would protest or try to protect him from the world?" Marco hissed, not wanting to risk being overheard. Thatch looked horrified with the realization. "I don't think he'll ever trust us like he might have before Teach."

"But he already knew he was bad!"

"And nobody else noticed. There are 1,600 of us. There has to be more rotten ones, even if they aren't traitors. Our crew isn't all loving, great people. You know that. None of us were supposed to be evil," Marco sighed. Thatch had completely deflated with the truths Marco pointed out. He asked, then, how they were supposed to make Ace stay. "Remember, it's not our goal to coerce him to stay. We're taking them to get a new ship. This may be a second chance, but to make us likable, not to try to force him to stay again."

Deuce went walking past the door, wiping his eyes. Marco hurried out of the room. "Deuce? Are you okay?" Deuce nodded, but didn't turn around and didn't stop. Thatch and Marco shared a look before heading to the commanders' hall, just checking to see if Ace was okay. They didn't hear anything but quiet whimpering and swear words.

"Are you okay, Ace?" Marco asked, getting a bad feeling. He could smell blood. Was Ace hurting himself? Had he hurt himself on accident? Why did Deuce run away? Ace didn't reply. Marco gripped the handle and opened it. The door wasn't locked. He opened it slowly and gasped when he saw the room.

There was blood all over the bed around Ace. He ran to the bed. Ace had spikes coming out of his back. "S-Sorry, i-t was an accident." Ace mumbled. He clenched his eyes shut and the spikes receded and his skin healed over just fine. But the blood was still everywhere.

"Wh-what happened?" Thatch demanded.

"I'm too dry. I'm fine. Oh god, the room," Ace said and buried his face in his pillow. Marco didn't touch him, and sent Thatch a warning look to not touch him. Marco asked what had happened. Ace looked like he wasn't going to say anything, but Marco wasn't going to leave without an explanation. "Do you want me to get Deuce?" he asked.

Ace shook his head. "My body tried shifting for… some reason. But I'm not in water at all. Thank god nothing happened," Ace sighed and sat up. He didn't look to be in any pain. Thatch asked if he was unable to shift out of water. "Yeah… just, some part of me has to be in water." He immediately looked like he regretted saying it.

"Ah, then I guess it's a good thing you can't shift on land? You would have destroyed the ship," Thatch said awkwardly. "Um, I'm gonna go get cleaning supplies. And new sheets," he announced and left.

Marco asked if this had ever happened before. Ace shook his head. "Don't worry about this happening again, okay? Don't tell anybody." Marco didn't like this. Didn't like hiding anything so big from Pops. But, Ace deserved privacy if he wanted or needed it. Marco said he wouldn't tell anybody.

Thatch came back and the three of them cleaned up the room. Ace was slightly rocking back and forth, a blanket around his shoulders, after the blood was cleaned up, the stained sheets and towels burned to leave no evidence. By the end, the room looked perfectly fine. Ace stood up and said he had to go see Deuce.

Marco nodded, holding the bucket of bloody water. He trusted Ace that this wouldn't happen again. Something had caused him to lose control, make Deuce cry. It had to be before Ace's back exploded because Deuce would _never_ leave him in that state. Thatch looked sad and asked, "Do you think it was because of what I said?"

Marco said he didn't know. They dumped the bloody water into the sink, since their room had a shared bathroom since it _was_ originally a commander's room. They rinsed out the bucket and mop and then brought them to the closet they came from. Marco headed out on deck, seeing Pops reading the newspaper.

He said he wouldn't tell anybody, and he wouldn't. He saw Ace and Deuce walk inside, Ace looking very worried. Of course he was, he just had spikes rip out of his back! Blood sprayed everywhere! Marco wanted to go ask how he was, but reminded himself that he wasn't Ace's crew, he wasn't one that he picked.

All of the Spades were hand picked by Ace. He knew what he wanted and who he would get it from. That way of thinking sounded heartless. He just had a good eye for people and relied on that for making friends.

And Marco was sure losing their ship had impacted Ace more than the others. The other six pirates seemed to be back to normal. A bit sad, but acting how they did before. Ace was a different person. He was like a bunch of sharp angles before, and now he's not soft angles, he's just _flat._ Losing that ship was hardest for him.

And Marco could understand why he was upset, _of course._ But for someone like him, only him, losing a safe haven was like losing a part of yourself. He wished he could get to know Ace better without seeming pushy. He felt that one thing was the same. As Deuce had said that first day, Ace isn't his friend, he's Ace's.

He looked around, loving his brothers, who were goofing off and messing with each other. But he was also angry at them. Angry at himself for treating Ace not even like a human. A _normal_ human. How, all these years, had they not gotten somebody like Ace? Who did everything possible to leave, get away.

Had any of their brothers, even when first recruited, been treated as Ace had been? Pops saw him looking puzzled, and stood up and walked to him and asked if he was alright. "Yeah. Just thinking about Ace's situation."

"I have been, as well. I'd like to speak with him and you, only you two. Can you get him?" Whitebeard asked.

Marco replied, "I don't think right now is a good time." Pops was surprised and asked if something had happened. "Yeah, but he asked me not to tell anybody." The captain nodded. They valued personal information. Meaning nobody knows something about someone unless they want that. Privacy was a big issue on a ship so large with so many people. So, Whitebeard didn't ask for any details. "Tell me when things look to be better?"

"Yeah."

Marco saw Ace gather his crew and go inside, no doubt to their room to talk. He wished he was close enough to Ace to know what he was thinking, what he wanted. But of course he didn't follow or eavesdrop. It wasn't his business, even if he was really curious.

"Marco, I'd like to talk to you," Namur said. Marco said, "of course", wondering what the problem was. Namur looked worried, uncomfortable. Marco _really_ hoped it didn't have anything to do with Ace. They went to the meeting room and closed the door behind them. Marco sat in his seat and the fishman sat across from him.

"When are you planning on telling everybody that Ace isn't fully human?" Namur asked seriously. Marco asked what he meant. "There's no way you don't know. Why can he swim? Izo said he was sure Ace could swim and was leaving the ship. If that's true, then something is up since he has a devil fruit that should make it impossible for him to swim."

Marco didn't know what to say, what to do. "Have you told anyone this theory?" Namur shook his head.

He said, "I've been leaning on one. Ace is quite prideful and has a temper. Like dragons." Marco said that humans and dragons can't mate. "Well, obviously. And you're not denying it. I understand if you don't want to tell anyone. I know privacy is a must, not a privilege. But is he safe for us to all be around?"

"I can't give you any information. As someone who wants to be close to Ace and also a good person, I'm not going to say anything to anybody. And he has control over himself." Then the image of Ace in a puddle of blood flitted through his mind. He hadn't hurt anybody with that, and said it was impossible for him to shift fully when not in water. "You can't say anything to anybody."

Namur replied, "I wasn't planning to. I just don't know if its a good idea to keep him here." Marco asked where they were supposed to put them. Their ship was gone. They had no home. So they would be staying with them for now, if not permanently. "If you say it's safe, and if Pops thinks so, too, then I trust it. But is it a good idea to hide it from the other commanders? Shouldn't they know?"

"No. They shouldn't know. Their reaction before was terrible. Knowing why he was like that might make things so much worse." He looked pointedly at Namur, who'd had a pretty hard time from the crew about him being a fishman and joining. Then more of an uproar when Pops named him a commander. The animosity had faded, but Marco knew Namur would never forget the racism displayed. But he was strong and had powered through it without saying a word back.

He was welcome now, but it had been a rocky start that he persevered. But he wasn't a teenage boy. He'd been in his thirties when he was named commander and joined in his late twenties. There was no comparison between the fishman's situation and the half-dragon's. "Make sure you don't tell anybody, not even a hint, okay?"

"I swear. But I hope the three of you are right. I understand that he saved Thatch, and I'm eternally grateful for that, but I can't help but worry a bit about the recklessness of keeping him here." Marco's face turned into one of disapproving.

"He's a human, too, Namur. He should be treated like one," the first division commander said firmly. Namu backed off and nodded, sensing Marco's irritation. The fishman once again said he wouldn't tell anybody and left the room. Marco sighed and rested his head on the table. Things kept getting more complicated.

And was Ace actually okay after losing all that blood? He looked perfectly fine. But he remembered how fast his cuts had healed. For some reason, nobody had said a thing about them. Maybe it was because he was a logia. Maybe Thatch could heal like that, too. But Marco was betting on it being Ace's dragon side.

He went to get something to eat and saw when Ace walked into the galley with his crew, who were all looking haunted. Ace probably explained what had happened. It was just good the evidence had been gone by the time they went to the room and Ace spoke to them after it. Ace's expression was closed, and when he saw Marco, he looked away.

Marco looked at his food, wishing Ace could be happy and himself. Not just on this ship, but everywhere. On this ship would be nice and helpful. His fists balled and he clenched his teeth. He wanted Ace happy. He'd do what he could to make that possible. Make it happen for real. Make him happy and comfortable enough to play dodgeball with the Whitebeards.

Comfortable to get drunk around them. Maybe not comfortable enough to reveal himself to everybody, though that would be amazing. But he wanted him to not be miserable the next month or longer. Most likely, longer. Three islands before somewhere they could buy a new ship.

Plenty of time for things to get better, but also plenty of times for it to get worse.


	12. Doing Their Bests

#### sir_arthur_conan: Thank you! He can transform anywhere as long as it's somewhere with water. Any water. The claws were just easy I guess? I don't remember what I was thinking the reason was for that lol. Been over 4 months since I last read through it. So, even if he just spilled a bottle of water on himself, he can transform for a very small amount of time. Important later~

#### Misselementst56: Ahaha, when I saw your second comment about editing a typo from your first, I thought it was some rude person just coming over to correct your grammar. And don't worry, the story won't be dropped as it's already finished completely. 

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: It's so funny everyone is mad at Namur but I legit don't remember why because it's been so long since I read through it. 

#### Vann_Dorothy: That transforming on land shouldn't be something to worry about _too_ much. It's just pretty important for later in the story. When shit goes down lol. 

#### Niss.Arsil: Yeah. Hopefully everyone pulls their heads out their asses soon and realizes he's not a monster, just a cranky, insecure and lonely kid trying to find a place to belong and know he isn't alone. 

* * *

**Marco being an angel once again in this chapter. Enjoy~**

* * *

After breakfast, Marco got up and started moving objects somewhere surprising. He thought it might help Ace out, being somewhere nobody would find him. He got things out of storage near the brig. Old furniture that used to be in the library until they got better couches. Blankets, lamps, a heater. He set them all up and put them all on a soft carpet. Hopefully this would help him have a safe space.

Not as safe as his ship, but nobody would find him down there. Not with the thick walls. Teach was not in the main brig. He was in the single cell in the maximum security room. It was near the main brig, but not the one Teach was in. Another reason Teach was in the single cell one was that it was more uncomfortable. The cuffs were tied to the ceiling instead of the wall. So he was strung up and unable to sit.

It was also much colder and damper. All in all, the worst part of the ship. Marco continued to work on the area, putting up wood on the walls and in front of the cells. Finally, he was satisfied with it, and went to get Ace. He found him sitting on the yardarm outside. The tallest one. He called for him, saying he wanted to show him something.

Ace nodded, and when he walked inside, the Spades all followed him. Marco was unsurprised they would be sticking close to him after what had happened. They were led down the stairs and to the brig. Instantly, Ace got worried. "Don't worry," Marco said with a smile, and opened the rusty door.

They all saw the cozy area that was there. Two couches, small tables with lamps on them. They were on top of many rugs, and there was wood sheeting over the cells, and a heater making the area nice and warm for the Spades besides Ace. "I thought you might like having somewhere to escape to. Nobody will come looking for you down here," Marco said with a smile. He handed Ace a thick key.

"You can unlock the door from the inside. You can't lock it from the inside, but you will never be trapped in here," the phoenix explained. Ace looked sad before he gave a smile. He thanked Marco quietly, sincerely. "You're very welcome. I want you to feel okay here. Maybe not happy, but not miserable. I'll do what I can to help you. Promise. I'll leave you alone, now. If you want anything else in here, don't hesitate to ask me, okay?"

Ace nodded silently and walked to the couch and sat down. Marco left the brig and closed the door that he'd oiled the hinges on so it wouldn't make any loud screeching noises with being opened. Marco walked past Teach's cell, hearing angry shouting. Marco didn't turn back. They were going to make Teach suffer for a while, uncomfortable, hungry and thirsty. He deserved it.

He ran into Jozu in the hall and asked where Ace was. "Why?"

"Izo said he found Ace's dagger in your room behind a desk. I don't know why it would be there, but he wants to return it," Jozu explained. Marco wondered how nobody had found it until now. It was from him wrecking his room, no doubt. Come to think of it, he'd seen Ace with a dagger wrapped around his leg a few times. He must have forgotten it on his way leaving yesterday.

"I'll take it to him. Where is Izo?" Marco asked. Jozu said he was in the galley practicing with Thatch for his new power, which continued to eat random objects. So far, Thatch was frustrated and impatient. Marco kept telling him it would take time to get it, but he was irate. Ace told him that it took him months to not randomly catch on fire.

Hearing that made Thatch dramatically fall to his knees and lament his bad luck. But he did know eating it was the best way to keep it out of Teach's hands.

"Izo, can I get the dagger? I'll give it to Ace," Marco said. Izo said he wanted to give it to him. "Then now isn't the best time. Give it to him later, okay?" The 16th division commander nodded. Then he went back to helping Thatch, even if he wasn't at all. Marco was sure Ace would help Thatch out once he was feeling better. Hopefully his new safe space would help out.

A baby step into getting him comfortable. Marco had his own safe space. In his office, there was a small alcove in the wall that opened to a tiny room with one small arm chair. It was where he had gone when he was younger and overwhelmed getting used to more and more people joining. He hated it at first. Felt like Pops was replacing him with others.

Whitebeard had assured him that wasn't it. It took awhile for Marco to be okay with it. Then Jozu and then Thatch came and he became friends with both of them even before commanders were a thing, when the crew was still small enough for Pops to do everything himself. He found said captain in the library, able to sense his presence easily.

There were a handful of others in there, reading quietly or napping on the big couches. The library was where people went for peace and quiet. Shouting in there was not allowed. The captain looked up when Marco came in, and smiled. A knowing smile. "So, how are they liking the brig?" he asked quietly.

"I think Ace is happy about it. I did my best to make the space comfortable. They need a safe space, Ace especially," Marco said, not surprised that Pops knew they were in the brig, and that Marco had been in there, too. Whitebeard smiled and said he was proud of the first mate's understanding of them.

Marco replied, "I think I know a lot more about Ace from spending time on the beach with them. He talked to me openly about things, and others just fell into place and clicked. I feel that I really know him better than before. The real him, not the closed off, prickly version we've encountered.

"Or the sadness he radiates now. Losing his ship really crushed him. I can tell he's more devastated than his crew. Probably because nowhere else feels safe for him to be himself." Marco nodded in agreement. "Namur knows, by the way. He figured it out. It shouldn't be surprising that he figured it out, though."

They were speaking quiet enough that no one could hear their conversation. The much larger man sighed at this news. Marco told him the fishman had promised to not tell anybody. But it was still uncomfortable knowing one person knew and another had very accurate suspicions. As long as Izo didn't bombard Ace with questions again, maybe they could move past the thing that was the tipping point for the teen before.

"How is the bedroom coming? To split them up?"

"It's coming along. Though, personally, I really don't think they're going to split up for now, after…" he trailed, off remembering he couldn't talk about it. Ace didn't want him to, of course, so he wouldn't. He was his friend and it was something he didn't want people to know. Which was completely reasonable, and he was no longer hurt. "I can't say."

Whitebeard nodded, accepting this. Marco was so glad the man was patient and so understanding.

-x-

Ace was sagged into the cushiony couch. It was a nice space. Warm for the others, the lights were warm and reflected the wooden sheeting and not the metal and stone cells. All of the Spades were on the couches, just relaxing. Ace really appreciated Marco's kindness and understanding of how he needed a safe space.

The teen had told his crew. Both about the injury that there was no trace of, and his scales on his legs, finally. Nobody had known about it. Ace had hidden it expertly. Especially from Deuce. His crew felt sorry for him, obviously, but made sure he knew they wouldn't leave him for something like that.

That maybe everyone knowing he was a dragon would keep people away in fear. Bad people. Well, good people too. If Ace was a small dragon, he wouldn't be as scary, but he was definitely not small. Not even big. He was _huge._ Intimidating. He might not scare people on land because he was a water dragon, but he'd be feared regardless.

There was nobody like him in the world, it seemed. At least, not that anybody knew of. He was sad about it, but he gave up. It didn't matter anymore. He was lost in thought, and it seemed everybody else was as well, based on how quiet the brig was at the moment. Nobody said a thing. The quiet was nice. Just being with his crew, not anywhere near any of the other crew. Finally, somebody said something. Ace hadn't been expecting it.

"Are you celebrating your birthday this year?" Deuce asked. He knew Ace only celebrated his birthday with his brother, and that he didn't want to do it anymore. Ace said he'd forgotten all about it. "We could just celebrate it here. Not around any of the Whitebeards. They don't have to know."

Ace shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really feel like there's anything to celebrate." His crew said it was, but not forcefully, knowing Ace didn't like his birthday, though they didn't know why. His birthday was also the day his mom died for him. It was the start of a very difficult childhood. It just didn't feel like anything special. And there was no reason to celebrate if he didn't like it.

They celebrated the others' birthdays, but they hadn't for Ace's 18th birthday. "I guess a cupcake would be okay. But not a party or anything. Just a cupcake." The others said that was good enough. They smiled and Ace sighed. He wanted to go home. But he wanted to stop thinking about it.

He knew that was impossible for a while. And his crew now knew how he felt, why he felt that way. They were sympathetic to him and had offered him physical and verbal comfort. They were his lifeline, like Sabo had been and then Luffy. So, the plan was, in three days from that day, to get a single cupcake for Ace to eat. To celebrate his birth, even if he didn't think it was worth it. They had all forgotten it, and his crew felt bad about it.

After four hours and multiple naps later, dinner time was there. They left the brig, turning all the electrics off and then went up to the galley. Ace was still feeling upset about his outburst and consecutive loss of control of his own body. He'd do everything he could to not lose his emotions like that again if that was the price he paid.

He was just glad it had healed. When he shifted the right way, in water, it didn't hurt at all. His body naturally changed without any pain or difficulty. He didn't think not being in water would make him like _that._ His dragon side going against his human side, injuring him. He'd never lose control again. Ever.

They ate outside. The weather was really nice, so they took advantage of it. Ace looked over the railing while eating his plain but good food. "You want to go on one?"

"Not tonight," Ace replied, shocking his crew. He had never said he didn't want to go on a swim when he was asked. "I kind of just want to sleep." Deuce frowned sadly.

He said, "This isn't a nightmare, Ace. It's real life. You'll wake up tomorrow and things will not have changed." Ace winced, knowing he was right. Deuce understood him too well sometimes. But it was why he wanted to go to bed early. Hoping this was all a bad dream and they were on the PoS, stationary out on the sea.

Ace didn't reply, and Aggie 68 scolded Deuce. "No, he's right. I'm not happy he's right, but he is. I still want to go to bed, though. So, I'll either see you later or tomorrow morning, okay?" the captain asked. They agreed, wishing him goodnight. It was only 9:00, having eaten slowly and silently.

He ran into Namur, the only fishman on the crew that Ace had noticed. The guy looked at Ace a bit too long, and Ace asked him what his problem was, a little snappy. "Nothing. Sorry for staring," Namur said, giving the slightest bow, and walked away. Ace was left confused and irate. But at least he apologized. It didn't sound extra sincere, but it wasn't in a mocking way.

But… he'd bowed to Ace. Shit. Did he know?! Why would he bow any other way? And he was a fishman. Maybe he sensed something about Ace being a water creature, too. He was worried, but for some reason thought he wouldn't tell anybody. If he bowed, that meant he showed respect. He didn't think he'd do that and then just go blab to people.

Well, Ace didn't know if that was the situation, but he was glad somebody bowed and showed respect on this ship. Deuce was right. They didn't know and they wouldn't bow to him because of that. But he wouldn't tell anybody. Not let himself slip. He'd be more careful when he went out to go on a swim.

To not let anybody else be suspicious. Just because Izo felt bad (it seemed) didn't mean his suspicions had just disappeared. He just probably wouldn't be so pushy about it, but he wouldn't forget it. And if he spied on Ace again, he'd get a good punch to the face. He didn't care if they got upset about that, he would have privacy.

Marco said privacy was important, but he doubted Izo got into trouble for it. Probably only trouble for making Ace leave and give up staying or getting to know anybody else. He didn't pass anybody else on his way to bed, since he doubted the pirates went to bed so early. He changed into pajama shorts. Part of him was so _relieved_ that the others knew about the scales.

He didn't have to hide them once they were on a new ship. He could bathe _not_ alone. The scales had started coming when he was thirteen. By then, Luffy wouldn't have cared, Ace was his brother, and he accepted all of him. Even the grumpy days. But his little brother often managed to cheer him up or distract him by doing something stupid.

He smiled at the memories of Luffy and him. He couldn't wait to see Luffy's first bounty. He fell asleep in a good mood. It was nice, really nice.

When he woke up in the morning, everyone was still asleep. It made sense, he'd gone to bed before all of them. He went to the galley for food, starving and unable to wait for the others. There weren't many people in there yet, which Ace was glad about. "Ace! You're sure up early," Thatch said. Ace nodded, saying he went to bed early. "Will you help me today with my devil fruit? For staying solid? I keep turning solid and then into the foam. It's not foam, but I don't know what to call it, it _is_ foam. Nobody can tell me different."

"Evil bubbles," Ace said. "That fits better."

"They're not bubbles, and not evil!"

"Dark clouds."

"Foam!"

"Okay, okay. You know you could probably beat the devil fruit users of this ship. The fruit you ate nullifies other devil fruits. Might be boring, though. To win and all," Ace said, eating the plain toast. The Spades didn't have a designated chef. They could make food alright, but it was never fancy or detailed. Not many diverse foods.

"That would be awesome to kick their asses!" Thatch said. "But I still want to use my swords, too. Though Marco and Jozu have their devil fruits but also rely on hand to hand. Like you. Where'd you learn your moves and all? I'd think you're pretty strong, even if you had unfortunately been weakened from your fight with Jinbei. And Then Pops beat you up. Dick move."

"Excuse me?" Whitebeard asked when he walked in.

"I didn't say anything, I promise," Thatch said quickly. But Whitebeard just chuckled and got some food, too. "Anyways, where'd you learn to fight?" Ace swallowed the food in his mouth before answering. Thatch was okay to talk to about this kind of simple stuff. He knew he was right about him being weak after the five day fight. He wasn't upset about that, it was just a fact.

Ace said, "I trained with my brother on our home island. The huge beasts helped us get stronger, too. You remind me of my little brother. He was kind of stupid, too. But more than you," Ace said casually.

"Hey! Don't be rude."

"You've been rude to me, though." Thatch said it had been on accident, he'd worded it wrong. Ace sighed and put his fork down. "I know. But it still bothered me." Whitebeard was clearly listening from the table he usually sat at. Thatch apologized about it sincerely. And that he hoped the "thing" had not happened because of what he said. "It contributed to it, but it was more. Things just piled up all at once. It wasn't solely your fault."

Thatch looked guilty, knowing his words had helped Ace get so overwhelmed that spikes ripped out of his back. "What was your life with your brother like?" Thatch asked, trying to change the subject, which Ace was totally fine with. He told him about Luffy and how he made him feel better. He didn't mention Sabo. Mostly because the chef knew that Ace could have saved him, but just wasn't there. He should have been there. It was personal, and it took a long time to tell his crew about his first friend ever.

The older man was shocked that Ace was dumped on bandits from his grandfather. And that surprised him even more. That Garp the Fist was his grandpa, adoptive or not. Ace didn't have any fond memories of him. It was sad, but he just didn't. He didn't even trust him to see Ace was part dragon.

By the time Ace was three, Garp had already yelled at him. Scared him into not saying a thing and being able to hide it. The bandits eventually knew, but they surprisingly kept it a secret from everybody. That was why he could look back at them partially fondly. They still made him not have a loving childhood, but at least they kept his secret and weren't afraid of him.

"What was his reaction? To, you know?" Ace said he didn't know. He'd never known and never would, if things went according to Ace's wishes. He finished his food by the time his crew came in. They were all dressed. He noticed that nobody walked around in their pajamas even in the morning.

There were some days on the PoS that they just wore pajamas all day if it was a calm one. He left the counter and went to sit with his crew. He stayed mostly quiet, and Deuce patted his back. The galley was quickly filling up as pirates arrived for breakfast. Thatch and his sous chefs were amazing with how quickly and how much they were about to cook for 1,600 or so people.

After breakfast, Haruta came over and sat next to Deuce with a smile. "So, we're having a New Years party tomorrow. Do you like alcohol? We have all sorts of kinds! And there will be a feast and everything! Do you want to take part?" he asked cheerily. The Spades shared looks. It was Ace's birthday on New Years. He didn't want a party. It wouldn't be a birthday party, but it might feel like it. And he didn't want that.

"You guys can. I don't really want to," Ace said to his crew. Haruta pouted, and then sighed before going back to how he was.

"Weeeeell, we have parties all the time. I guess you guys will be the only ones not hung over. Or you could just have some booze inside and chill in your room or something." Saber said it sounded like a good plan. Ace nodded. He wouldn't drink much, but a few sips wouldn't be much. He was easy to get drunk.

And he was also embarrassed. He giggled like a little girl and slurred his speech badly. His crew thought it was funny, but doing it in front of all these strangers was not okay. Haruta got up and walked back to his table.

They finished their meals and returned the dishware to the kitchen. Thatch always seemed to eat at lightspeed so he could get going on cleaning up. Saber walked up to the counter and quietly asked Thatch to make Ace a cupcake. Thatch wondered why, but said he would. Saber thanked him, and Ace was glad that Thatch didn't ask why.

He didn't want anybody to know.

They ran into Izo in the hallway, and the crossdresser stopped Ace, who sent him a cold look. He couldn't help it. Izo grabbed him without permission, told him something cruel and pestered him about things that weren't his business at all. "We found this under the desk in Marco's room," he said, handing Ace the dagger.

Ace took it and strapped it around his leg. It felt much better. He'd thought he lost it in the ocean because he couldn't find it anywhere else. He hadn't even remembered taking his dagger into Marco's room. "Thanks," Ace said, though his voice was clipped.

"I really am sorry. I know it doesn't really make up for it, but I am sorry," Izo said. Ace responded with an, "Okay." Not one of forgiveness. He thought the apology was likely sincere, but it didn't mean he trusted the man to not be nosy. Thatch even said he was. Would he change his nature? He didn't expect him to, to be honest.

When they got outside, Ace saw Namur, and remembered to tell his crew about what had happened. They were at the back deck, where they spent much of their time since people didn't usually go back there. They were worried about somebody else knowing. Ace, for some reason, thought that Namur would not talk to anybody else about it. He did want to know what he thought. He got up and said he'd be back in a minute.

He walked to him at the railing, and asked to talk to him real quick. His voice was awkward, but not snappy. He bowed to Ace. That was better than any apology. And he didn't remember Namur being one of the assholes the first time around. He knew who had hated him and who hadn't really given a shit. Namur was the latter.

"What do you know? Or think?" Ace asked quietly. They were both leaning against the railing, facing the sea. If either of them fell in, they'd both be just fine.

"Part water dragon. Though I have no idea how. I get why you're so snappy and pissy sometimes. Why you were before. Why you get offended so easily and why Izo thought you somehow swam back to the island. I haven't and won't tell anybody," he added. Ace sighed deeply and bent his head down. "I can see pros and cons for everyone noticing. Pros would be they knew you better and knew why you act like you do. Cons would be somebody blabbing. I'm not going to pretend that everyone on this crew is a good person.

"There are plenty of jerks, just not nearly the majority. A small minority, but they are still here," Namur said honestly. Ace appreciated it. He said he wasn't telling anybody. Now four people knew. And he wanted to keep it that way.

Ace thanked him for being honest before going back to his crew.


	13. A Heroic Act

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: He's the perfect man. I can't wait for what's coming to the anime next week! AHHHHH.

#### Exogot7teenbangtanboys: Thanks! I'm glad you like it so much! For once, I will not put you through hell with "you know who." What happens will happen. The Whitebeards hopefully get better. They can come to like Ace, but until Ace forgives and accepts them, he's not on of them. After all, they've been the ones in the wrong this whole time. tut tut. 

#### Misselementst56: thank you!

#### Artemispolarbear: **(*¯︶¯*)**

#### ISawAGh0st: and it is here!

#### Shadow22739: Namur is a grumpy-grump. Marco is the best ever. 

* * *

**Got some awesome Ace moment in this one! Enjoy~**

* * *

"What's with the single cupcake?" Marco asked when he and Thatch were unlocking and carrying out the kegs. The evening had come, so the party would start soon. The Spades would not take part, but did ask for some bottles of sake. They got them, and set them up in the brig. They would have their own party, and they wouldn't hear a thing through the thick walls. Which was good since the pirates were always loud when drunk.

"The Spades asked for it. I think it's Ace's birthday but he doesn't want to celebrate it. I'm making the cupcake out of natural cocoa beans. It won't have added sugar or sweetening. Since he hates flavored things," Thatch explained. "I have a present for him, too," he added with a grin.

Marco felt bad that Ace didn't want anybody knowing it was his birthday, but it wasn't too surprising. It was interesting he was born on New Years, though. Well, it was nice Thatch was being so considerate about the cupcake. Hopefully it would taste good for the dragon. When the two left the room, they ran into a very, very cranky Izo.

"What's your problem?" Thatch asked.

"Ace talked to Namur normal and fine. He didn't glare at him and approached him first. What am I supposed to do to let him know I won't be a dick anymore?" Izo snapped. Thatch shared a look with Marco. They couldn't tell their brother what he should do. Bowing would also be an apology to humans. To Ace it was a show of respect.

Marco said, "Maybe something happened? I mean, he never really gave a shit about Ace. He never talked to him, but he also wasn't disrespectful or hostile. It's only been two days, Izo. It'll take a while for him to like you in any way. But you have plenty of time. Just don't be too pushy," the first mate explained and set out the kegs on the deck.

The two went back to the winery to get some more kegs. "So, what is your present?" Marco asked his brother. Thatch grinned.

"Nothing he can complain about. It didn't cost money or anything. A free pass. Ten times for me to guard him when he does his thing." He meant when he went swimming. Marco smiled, thinking that was really thoughtful. He couldn't see Ace complaining about that, either. Marco would assume he was thankful for the thoughtful and simple gift.

Thatch really was a good man. Thank god that Ace had great aim and power with a dodgeball. Teach would be executed soon. Once he was bad enough. Once he was feeling so ill and angry and wishing to die. Wishing to die meant they really punished him. No cherry pies, no food or drinks, no bed, nothing. He'd be killed by sea kings, how they usually did it. That way, they didn't dirty their hands with blood. God, he still couldn't believe how that ended up. Ace saving Thatch and then falling back to sleep.

Marco smiled at him. And wished to see the Ace he'd witnessed at the beach. Laughing, joking, playing games, just an all around _fun_ person to be around. Marco wanted everybody to see that side of him. The phoenix had a feeling _that_ was the real Ace. He wasn't cranky, angry, prideful, bratty, sarcastic and a jerk. That side of him was for protection from others.

He hoped that everyone would see that side. But he hoped more that Ace would get comfortable. At least for now. But he couldn't help but wish for him to stay again. Not after the beach. They did have plenty of time, though. According to previous journeys on this route in the New World, it would take two to three months, depending on the weather and how long they stopped on the two islands, as well as any surprises, like the ship being damaged.

If Ace hated the whole time, it would be a long trip for him. Marco didn't want that, and knew Thatch and Pops didn't either. And now Namur, too. If Ace was being friendly with him, then there was hope for everybody else if they did the right thing. The right approach. Maybe they could drop some hints about the respect thing.

He and Thatch had tried it in the beginning. Telling everyone to earn his respect. It clearly hadn't happened, though. After they both dragged all the kegs out, Thatch went to get the cupcake, and put a candle in it. It was actually two candles that he'd quickly carved. "19", since that was how Ace would be tomorrow. It was New Years eve. The Spades had just barely missed Christmas, since they celebrated it a couple days early that year.

Marco went to Pops and sat on his shoulder, watching his brothers go to their familiar spots and groups for the party. When Thatch came back out, Marco hoped he hadn't been turned away. But the chef was beaming. Marco got off and asked how it went. They hadn't told the captain it was Ace's birthday if he did his best to hide it.

"First, I gave him the cupcake and explained what it was made of. He looked really touched at that, but when I gave him the _gift_ , he looked so shocked and then really happy, though he was trying to hide it. He even let me sing happy birthday with them!" he whispered excitedly. Marco wished he could have gone, too. But he didn't want to crowd him when he didn't want anybody else knowing for some reason. But he was happy Thatch's kindness had been accepted and Ace didn't think he was out of his place.

When the party started outside, Marco and Thatch were both in very good moods. Pops looked a bit curious, but also happy. He knew something good had happened, probably with Ace, based on their happy whispering before. The two sat in a ring with Namur, Haruta, Izo, Jozu and Rayuko.

"So, what did you do to get Ace's respect?" Izo asked. Namur said he was polite, giving nothing away. "I've been polite _now."_ Marco reminded Izo that he had plenty of time to work for forgiveness. Rayuko said Ace should just accept the apology and move on.

"Well, that 'should' isn't happening, is it?" Haruta asked. "I was having fun with him, but he was still closed off. I was never mean to him, though. I don't know what I should do, what the key is! I wonder if he'll stay. If we don't mess up this time."

Marco said, "I want him to stay. He was like… a completely different person on the beach the night I stayed on the island with them, before the ship got back. He laughed and messed with his crew. They played dodgeball that Ace started. I think that was the real Ace. Once we get past the wall he's built around himself, I hope the real Ace will come out," Marco mused.

The others looked surprised with this, the 180 that Ace made once he was off of the ship. They also wore sad faces. How they'd changed his personality completely by keeping him hostage. "There's nothing we can do about it now. We have to move on and do better while also recognizing most were in the wrong, and forgiveness doesn't always come instantly. Most times it doesn't," Thatch said. Nobody was smashed yet.

"Hopefully he opens up or you jerks tell us how to get his respect," Izo said irritably. Marco was wondering why he'd changed his views so drastically? Was his guilt really this strong? Seeming desperate to be his friend only days after he told him he wouldn't belong with them. Marco honestly still couldn't imagine those words coming from Izo.

It might be partly anger from the youngest person on the ship about him attacking Thatch. The moment he was spoken to by anyone on the ship, he broke Thatch's nose that was healing remarkably fast.

"You know, I was wondering. Ace was sliced up and injured. I don't really see any cuts anymore, and some were pretty deep."

"Maybe it's a logia thing? We've never had a logia on the ship before. Well, Thatch now, but he hasn't been cut up," Rayuko commented. Thatch exclaimed that they better not experiment. They rolled their eyes at him. Of course they wouldn't try to hurt him.

Marco turned slightly and saw Namur was deliberating. He had a feeling he knew what about. "Namur. No." He looked surprised he was caught, and then frowned with a nod. Nobody would be saying anything unless Ace was comfortable with it. Izo had nearly figured it out. Bowing might be a give away. Why would an 18 year old - now 19 - be so demanding of respect like that?

It's true, Marco had never met a teen that demanded and required such high levels of respect. It was odd, indeed. To outsiders, that is.

-x-

Ace had a bad feeling about today. It was two days after his birthday, with people just not understanding what had changed with Namur and Ace, but the four who knew weren't telling anybody no matter how much they were pestered. Ace was thankful for that. He came to like Thatch even more now. He'd brought him a cupcake that he actually ate since the cocoa didn't have anything added to it, just cocoa beans, real ones.

The gift he'd given was more important in a way other than wanting to use it. It really showed that Thatch completely accepted all of him, even his monster form that he hadn't seen. He sang happy birthday, which made Ace turn red even when Thatch _wasn't there_ , and then left to go to his own party, wishing the teen happy birthday.

He was so close to becoming a real adult! Well, in human years. He didn't think he'd really feel any different, but he wouldn't be a teenager anymore. That would be nice. He was napping on the yardarm when he sensed Deuce come out. He opened one eye and saw him go to the railing and sit down on it how Ace did. He looked a little sad.

Ace didn't like this and dropped down, landing easily with a burst of blames around his feet. He trotted over to Deuce, and surprised him when he came up behind him. Like how Whitebeard had startled him and made him fall in, Deuce did the same. "Deuce!" Ace shouted. He got a life saver and tossed it down, only noticed something coming up from under him.

He jumped overboard. "Ace, no!" Haruta shouted. Ace swam deeply and shifted to meet the sea king halfway as it aimed for Deuce, the struggling human. Ace thrashed around with it, ripping its head off before the blood attracted more and more and Ace had trouble fighting them all off near the ship, which was rocking back and forth as Deuce tried to stay afloat.

Marco flew down and picked him up and brought him back to the deck. People were shouting at somebody to save Ace. He wasn't seen anymore. "He's gonna die! That's a swarm of sea kings!" Haruta screeched. Ace could hear it all. He swam deeper, shoving the sea kings down as he managed to get the upper hand and decapitate one with his tail, tightening it around the monster's neck.

The other ones were in bad shape, slashed apart and bleeding. They swam away, leaving a trail of blood. Ace shifted and swam up, grabbing onto the life saver. He was panting. That had been really scary. Deuce had been caught up in it! He could have died or drowned! But Ace saved him and that was all that mattered.

He looked down to see his leg was bleeding. He didn't want to attract anymore sea kings, so he tried climbing the rope. But Marco went down and picked him up. "Shit," he said, seeing Ace's cut up leg. He couldn't be fire underwater, so his logia powers didn't work. He almost never got injured in fights, and especially not this bad.

He passed out from the pain, knowing everybody knew he could swim. He hoped nobody made the connection to the dragon that appeared and then disappeared. He could say he was shoved up by the sea kings. That would be a good story. There had been too much to see to notice Ace was swimming down.

When he woke up, he was in one of the beds in the infirmary, which he hadn't been to in a while. He didn't like it, too white and bright. He looked down to see his leg was heavily bandaged. He saw Deuce next to the bed, holding a book but not moving his eyes to be actually reading.

"Deuce," Ace said. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. You're the one that got attacked by a sea king," the first mate said. "That was reckless." Ace asked if he would have rather gotten eaten by a sea king. He got a leg injury. Deuce would have died. He sighed and asked what had happened afterwards. After he passed out and everyone saw him swimming.

Deuce replied, "I made a good lie. I said that the sea kings must have pushed you upwards and you grabbed the lifesaver. It worked. I think. Your wound was pretty distracting, so I couldn't really tell." Ace thanked him.

There was nobody else in the room, thankfully. Nobody to overhear them. "How bad is the wound?" Ace asked, as moving his left leg hurt pretty badly. Deuce sighed and said it was bad. The skin was shredded in multiple places.

"You won't be swimming for a while," Deuce said sadly, and Ace's face fell. He swam with his back legs and tail the most. If he was unable to move one of them, it would definitely hinder movement. He was stuck on the ship in his human form. He sighed and said it was to be expected.

"I'm just so glad you didn't get eaten," Ace said quietly. His first mate said the same. He didn't want to die. "I'm sorry I startled you. I should have known better." Deuce said he shouldn't have been sitting on the railing. "You would have been fine if I hadn't scared you."

"There's nothing we can do about it now. We should just move on as best as he can." Marco then walked in and perked up when he saw Ace was awake. He asked him how he felt, rolling a doctor's chair over next to the bed, the opposite side of Deuce.

Ace said, "Okay. My leg hurts to move, though." He didn't really want to see the injury clearly, thinking it was pretty bad if he was snagged by a sea king. They had no arms or legs, so it's teeth were what got Ace. He was lucky his leg wasn't severed. "What does everybody think?"

Marco said, relief in his voice, that most believed Deuce's hypothesis. "It sounds accurate. That's how most of the ship feels. The commanders are suspicious, though. Especially Izo, but that's to be expected. I really don't think anyone can comprehend the truth. It's just never happened before and seems impossible. They all also think you were totally reckless. Being a devil fruit user and jumping into the ocean where a sea king was."

"I couldn't let it get Deuce," Ace defended himself. Marco put up a hand and said he knew that, but the others didn't. Ace looked down, but didn't regret saving him. Marco got him out of the water but Ace kept the sea kings away. "I don't regret saving him," he said firmly. Marco said he knew, and Deuce was looking ashamed. But it was not his fault.

Ace wanted to get up, but knew he couldn't. "You'll be using crutches for now. It doesn't make you seem weak, it makes you seem human. You are human." Ace nodded, and saw a crutch next to the bed. He'd never had to use them before, never gotten injured like this. Ever. This was embarrassing, but the tradeoff was nothing compared to Deuce getting eaten.

"Is there going to be any long term problems?" he asked. Marco shook his head and said it might leave nasty scars, but he should heal. The deepest cuts were on the meaty parts of his leg. It was lucky that the sea king's teeth only grazed him. "Yeah…" Ace mumbled. He was so lucky there wouldn't be permanent issues. Though he healed fast, so who knew? "How's the rest of the crew?"

"Worried. But they know you'll be okay. They're getting food, I think. The nurses said you shouldn't wake up until an hour from now. They were wrong, though," Deuce said. Ace asked if they were mad at him. "Not at all. They think you're a hero for saving me, of course." Ace nodded and then leaned back into the pillow.

He hated the infirmary, and being cooped up in a place that he didn't choose was not fun or relaxing. Shouldn't hospitals be relaxing for injured people? This wasn't relaxing at all. Too bright. "This fucking sucks." The other two nodded. Ace asked for some water, which he was given. He drank it just fine, as the only injured part of him was his leg.

"When can I get up and move around?" Ace asked. They both said he could attempt to move tomorrow, but only if the cuts are still held together fine from the stitches. Marco apologized for it. "Not your fault." Then he gasped. "Did anybody take my shorts off?" he demanded. Deuce said they had not, because he had commanded them not to.

Marco looked confused and curious, but was smart enough to not ask. He got up to get the nurses, who did a check up on his injury. When they unwrapped it, he was disgusted by the sight. It was really bad. Like, really, _really_ bad. The cuts were long and deep. He couldn't imagine how the stitches kept them closed.

This would absolutely suck. But, he didn't regret it. Even if he'd lost a leg, it would be nothing compared to letting his best friend die.

When Whitebeard came in, Ace's face hardened. He hadn't spoken to Whitebeard since he got back, really. He bowed his head when he walked through the huge doors. "How are you feeling?" Ace replied honestly. He felt shitty. Whitebeard nodded, saying he could imagine how annoying it was to be stuck in the infirmary. No doubt talking about some health problem he'd had in the past.

"Did you need something?" Ace asked, though not rudely. Whitebeard walked forward and dropped something on Ace's covered lap. He picked it up and saw it was a scale. He told both Marco and Whitebeard to turn around. The nurses were no longer inside. The two did as they were told and didn't see Ace pull up his shorts, seeing a red spot where the scale fit just fine. It was swollen and looked pretty nasty.

He asked Deuce for a band aid, and was given one, since there was a box right next to the box of surgical masks. Ace put it over the spot and pulled his shorts down. "You can turn around now." Marco asked if he had another wound. Ace said, sharply, that he was fine. Marco nodded, not offended.

It had been an unnecessary question. He frowned and grumbled out a reluctant apology. "It's fine, I'm not mad. Are you hungry?" He wasn't angry at Ace snapping at him, which was a relief. Ace nodded slowly. "I'll bring you something," Marco said and left the room leaving Ace, Deuce and Whitebeard alone together.

Ace assumed Whitebeard would have left after Marco. He didn't let the silence stretch too long. "I wanted to compliment you on how you're handling this time. I know it has to do with the fact you are upset and depressed about what you've lost, and there's nothing wrong with that. I just wanted you to know we understand. Most of us understand."

Ace didn't really know what he was supposed to say. "After you saved Deuce, I think the opinion of you changed greatly, so try not to be surprised if people treat you differently. Showing you endanger yourself to save Deuce, even if it seemed reckless, is a noble thing to do. Many think you jumped in to distract the sea kings. And the bite does match that hypothesis," he explained honestly.

The partial dragon noticed how he spoke. Avoiding anything that could sound rude or judgmental. "Try not to be surprised" instead of "don't be surprised". Backing up "reckless" with a compliment. It was weird how well he knew to speak to Ace when there was no way he'd ever been around someone like him. Ace would be furious if he did know someone but had said nothing. So he asked. "Have you ever met anybody like me?"

"I have not. I feel I am just good at reading people."

"Except Teach," Ace pointed out.

"Ace, don't be so rude," Deuce scolded.

Whitebeard said, "No, he is right. I have a feeling I did not see his wickedness because I was biased. He was one of those we had the longest. He had been here since he was 12. Even when you told me your suspicions, part of me didn't believe you at all. I believed my own judgement. I am just grateful you woke up when you did. And had such an impressive aim."

"I still can't believe it was resolved by a dodgeball," Deuce muttered, and Ace snickered at it.

"Well, if you come across any new potential-members on our way to get us a new ship, I'll tell if they're good or not," Ace said. The yonko chuckled.

He said, "I will keep that in mind. I will come see how you're doing later. Just to see," Whitebeard said and left the room. Ace was left feeling confused. Deuce commented that he read him very well. Ace nodded and said he wasn't sure if he liked that.


	14. Big Blowout

After Whitebeard left, Deuce said, "He's respectful and smart. And kind. I can honestly see why so many follow him. I'm in no way saying you should - _we_ should - it's just an observation." Ace knew he was telling the truth about not trying to persuade Ace. But Whitebeard did have so many crew members he called his sons and daughters. And he had 43 subordinate crews. It was insane how many there were.

But Ace wondered if the Whitebeards actually were the strongest crew in the world. Big Mom's kids are known to be crazy strong, many of them with higher bounties than those on the Whitebeard crew. Not to mention the Beast Pirates with thousands of members. Though Ace heard he was camped in Wano.

He'd wanted to visit there. When they get a new ship, why not go there? They could just explore and not get involved with the politics of the land. They had a whole sea in front of them to explore.

While he was thinking, Marco came back in with food. Two large sandwiches, one for Ace and one for Deuce. Ace's had no sauce or condiments in it. Ace thanked him and ate his quickly while Deuce ate slower and "savored it". He said him eating fast wasn't appreciating food.

While they were eating, the rest of the crew hurried in. Marco took the tray with a thank you from Deuce and a nod from Ace as he left when the Spades entered.

"Hey, guys. Sorry for worrying you," Ace said. They made sure he knew they appreciated and were very happy he saved Deuce. Ace looked at his bandaged leg and grumbled something nobody could understand. A complaint, no doubt. They all sat around the bed and asked Ace about what had happened when nobody could see.

He explained that a swarm of sea kings had just come out of nowhere, and he fought them while Deuce tried swimming away. Deuce chimed in that he was sure he was going to drown even with Ace there. Ace wasn't offended by that. "I only realized I was injured when I turned back to normal and tried climbing up the rope. The wound is _really_ ugly and gross." His first mate nodded in agreement.

"It's not like we want to see it," Finamore said. Aggie 68 asked how long he was supposed to stay in there.

"One more day and another check up before I can use a crutch. I've never used one before. I'll probably mess up," Ace said with a huff. They said they'd teach him since they'd gotten hurt before. Ducky Bree made a thoughtful face. "What?" Ace asked.

"If I'm not wrong, I think I've gotten hurt _less_ since being a pirate," he said. The other five also thought for a moment and agreed. Ace looked confused. "You're not a bad captain, Ace." Ace's face turned red, not good with compliments. They were probably just trying to make him feel better. But, he went through the nearly two years he'd built this small crew and realized there had been very few injuries.

Deuce was the doctor, but Ace realized he barely worked. Because he didn't need to. He felt good about that, really. But not much about his attitude and all. He worried they'd leave him for Whitebeard. He knew he shouldn't, but he had to ask. "Would you guys leave me for the Whitebeards?" he asked quietly.

They all immediately replied with sharp, " _No"s_. "Promise?"

"We'll follow you anywhere," Deuce said. Ace made a gentle smile.

"I knew I picked good ones," he said happily. They all grinned, too. Even with Ace in the hospital bed and not allowed to leave, the Spades joked lightheartedly. They didn't talk about anything important, really. Just enjoying each others' company. It felt nice, to Ace. he already felt kind of shitty with his immobile leg, but they made it better. He really _did_ pick good people for his crew.

They were so good that he had opened up to them almost right away. Telling them the truth so they knew what they were getting involved with. They had all thought him being part dragon was pretty cool. That cemented Ace's feelings that they were good. He hoped Luffy had as good a judgement when he set out in one year.

One year sounded like a really long time.

The next day, Ace was itching to get out of the bed, out of the infirmary. By the second day he felt trapped and caged. He couldn't help the feeling. It was just instinct. Whiskey, one of the nurses that told him she wouldn't take his bullshit, checked him over. When she had spoken so disrespectfully to him, he'd given her a murderous look.

She had sensed she messed up and didn't take that attitude with him again. "You can go, but I want you to come back in for a check up after lunch." Ace nodded and took on crutch and failed at using it. Whiskey took the other crutch and showed him how to use it effectively and safely. He was able to leave after that, and walked to the Spades' room and changed underwear and shorts very slowly and carefully.

He looked at the injured scale on his leg, pulling the bandaid up slowly. He said it looked like a scar now. A shiny, white-ish pink color. He breathed heavily as he peeled off multiple scales until it hurt too much and he stopped. They were bright red, but didn't bleed. He put the few scales on the nightstand.

There was no way he could pull all of them off. Maybe once they spread too far he could. Once they spread down too far, or spread upwards above his belt line. He went into the bathroom, limping on one foot and not using his crutch. It hurt, but it was only a few feet. He found gauze and tape in the medicine cabinet and put them over his new self-inflicted wounds. Was that considered self harm? He wouldn't think so, but he also wouldn't say anything to anybody else about it.

He went back to the bed and got the crutches before leaving to go find the galley and eat something. Thatch saw him and loudly said he was happy he was out of the infirmary. "Yeah, me too," Ace said. "Anything for breakfast?" Thatch nodded, and served the boring food. The food he said was boring. Plain sausages, bacon, eggs. He was fine with bread, so he had pancakes, too. He ate all of it before anyone else came.

He did wonder where his crew was. "Do you know where my crew is?" Ace asked after he was finished. He felt bad for eating without them, but was just so hungry he couldn't possibly wait. Thatch nodded.

"I think they crashed in the library. I caught them coming in here at night and taking food," the chef said.

"Oh, I said I was hungry really late. I guess they took some food," Ace said. "Thanks, I'll bring them here," he said, and walked away, irritated with the crutches. He did find them in the library, passed out on the couches or soft carpet. Did they stay up all night or something? He hoped not. He walked to them each and made sure they were breathing.

Of course they wouldn't be dead, but he checked anyways. "Yo, sack of potatoes," he said. Saber woke up. "I'm out of the infirmary." It was kind of unnecessary to say, but still. They each woke up quickly, one after another. There were only six of them, so it didn't take long for them all to wake up. "Were you up all night?" Ace asked.

Deuce said he was, but the others had fallen asleep. Ace frowned. "You didn't have to-"

"You would have," his closest friend said. Ace silenced, knowing that was true. He said they should go eat, and they got up and went at Ace's slower pace. He hoped this healed soon, quickly. It had been a few days he was passed out after having his ass kicked by Whitebeard, who now bowed to him. It was kind of funny, if you thought about it. They went to the galley, which was filling up, and had some commanders ask how he was when he was sitting at the table. He answered that he was fine, and that was it. Just "fine", and nobody pushed for more.

-x-

"Izo. Not again, _please,"_ Marco said when he found Izo in his office, as all the commanders had a small office, writing things down about Ace. Suspicions and random thoughts. Hadn't he learned his lesson? Did he honestly think Ace would befriend him if he found out he was still trying to know more about him than he wanted them to?

"I'm not going to act on it this time," Izo said defensively. "I'm so curious it's painful, you don't understand. You _know_ already." Marco looked at him sternly. He was going to be harsh and hopefully get through to him why this was wrong. Why he should just leave it be and move on, learn from his big mistake.

This could be a bomb ready to explode if Ace found out he was now _secretly_ being suspected and studied and stalked. Izo was stalking him if you thought about it. He was watching him closely based on the list the man had made, and didn't let him know. "I won't tell anybody else."

"Izo, how would you have liked others to study you, stalk you, be nosy about your sexual orientation?" Izo turned defensive immediately. "How would you feel? Crappy and violated right? Then you should understand how this would make Ace feel. And you've already blown it with this once. Haven't you learned anything?"

Izo was glaring, though he got the point. But Marco could tell this wouldn't stop him. "If I have to tell Pops, I will. Before it's too late with Ace. Do you honestly want to be his friend, or do you just want an answer to your questions?" Marco asked coldly. Izo closed off, and Marco knew that was the truth. Maybe that was why Ace didn't want to be around him. Maybe he sensed it was fake.

"God, I am so disappointed I can't even express it in words," Marco spat. He walked forward and grabbed all of the paperwork he had in a folder with Ace's name on it. Izo shouted at him as he stormed to the nearest bathroom. Marco was much stronger physically than Izo, so he was not stopped.

"Give them back, Marco!" He refused. Then he went to the toilet stall and tore apart the papers and flushed them down the drain. He threatened, very seriously, that if he found out this happened again, he _would_ tell Pops. Izo was furious.

"Did you forget one of our most basic and important rules? Privacy is not a privilege, it's a necessity!" Marco shouted, his voice echoing in the bathroom. There was nobody there, so nobody heard them arguing. Well, Marco shouting. He couldn't believe this. He knew Izo was always nosy, but that trait had already caused Ace immense pain, and Marco wouldn't let it happen again.

Izo had nothing to say back. Marco walked past him, shaking his head in disbelief. Izo had always been nosy. But he'd never hurt somebody because of it. They always got annoyed or offended. They did not suddenly leave the ship, broken and in pain. Ace, despite being part dragon with a heaping portion of pride, was sensitive. He had fragile feelings, and having Izo do this _again_ would be really bad for him.

Speak of the devil, he heard a clicking sound and a quiet stream of profanities. He turned the corner and saw Ace slowly making his way down the hall. He had a plastic bag with him, shoved in his belt since both arms were being used. "You okay?" Ace asked, seeing Marco looking very bothered and upset.

"Yeah. I got in a fight with Izo. It's resolved now, sort of. He'll be pretty pissy and I'm angry. If he bites your head off, don't take it personally," Marco said. Ace had a blank look on, one Marco didn't know why it would be used.

Ace asked, "Was it about him keeping tabs and notes on me?" His voice was cold. Marco was surprised. "I'm not stupid. You think I don't watch how he reacts to me carefully? After what happened in the beginning?"

Marco sadly asked how long he'd known. "Since I came back. His apology was sincere, I think. But I won't be his friend. Not when he fucking investigates me. We won't be being friends, ever," Ace explained. "I'm taking a bath. Is there one where nobody will bug me?" Marco knew what he was probably talking about. When he didn't want him or Pops to see whatever worried him about being seen naked.

"The commanders' bathhouse. If I give you permission I'm sure you'll be left alone. And there are curtains around the tub." Of course Ace knew where the commanders' hall was, and slowly made his way there, still cussing about how annoying this was.

The phoenix was conflicted. Ace knew it, and didn't retaliate. He didn't like or respect Izo, and for good reason. Was Ace getting used to them, now? They weren't assholes anymore. Especially after saving Deuce by seeming like a distraction for the sea kings. Of course the Whitebeards thought loyalty like that was wonderful, and a trait of good people.

He wondered if it _was_ possible for him to stay. He didn't know, but didn't want to get his hopes up. But he knew he wouldn't be able to control that. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his now before turning right around to go see Izo, who was sitting at his desk with the side of his face resting on the surface.

"Go away, Marco," he said, though there wasn't any venom in his voice. But Marco would tell him what Ace had. So he realized he'd blown it too many times. Once was more than enough, twice was way too many.

"Ace knows you only wanted to be friends with him cause you were curious. I didn't tell him, he already knew. Which was why he told me he will never be your friend. You really fucked up," Marco said and then walked away. He heard a sniffle, but didn't turn back. Hopefully, this got it through his head. Being nosy can be a big mistake. To control your curiosity.

Marco was grumpy, walking angrily past his brothers in the halls. They didn't ask what was wrong. It was hard to talk to an angry Marco. He closed off and his voice was always clipped. So they didn't speak to him. He did walk past Jozu, who stopped him and asked what was wrong.

"Got in a fight with Izo," Marco said and walked away, pulling his arm away. He hated arguing with his brothers. But Izo was in the wrong. Commander or not, he was _in the wrong._ And Ace would never forgive him, would never trust him. If he left again because of Izo, Marco didn't know what he'd do.

He would need to isolate himself so he didn't punch his brother's lights out. He went outside for some fresh air and flew to the empty crows nest. Pops was on his chair, and called Marco down. He wouldn't talk of Izo's deeds. He had already punished him enough. Probably. But if he continued, you can bet Marco would get their father into the issue.

He sat in front of Pops. "What's wrong, son?" he asked in worry.

"I got in a big fight with Izo about something he did. I don't want to talk about it. I need space from him right now," Marco explained kind of vaguely. The captain frowned deeply, always hating when his children fought. He nodded, not wanting to pry when Marco didn't want him to. The father changed the subject and asked if he'd seen Ace today. "Yeah. He's really angry about the crutches. He was heading to the bathhouse. I let him use ours. About the thing he didn't want us to see."

Pops shook his head. "You're totally playing favorites."

"Being considerate, how a possible big brother would be. So, when are we taking care of Teach? I wouldn't be surprised if he's dead." Marco had zero sympathy for him. Trying to kill Thatch, throwing the trust of the crew into silent turmoil, hurting everybody. He would be satisfied with Teach's death.

"It's been a while. We should do it today or so," Pops replied. "Not caring and leaving him there to die may have been the best punishment." Then he looked down. "Ace told me I made a bad judgement about Teach. He was blunt but honest." Then he chuckled humorlessly. "He said while he was here, if we recruit any new people, he'll tell us whether they're good or bad. He's pretty blunt and harsh sometimes, but he's a good kid."

Marco said that Ace seemed to be doing much better now than before. "Well, he possibly sacrificed his life to save Deuce," Pops said. "That's what it looked like, and he did dive into a swarm of sea kings. He's shown the capability of complete loyalty to his friends and crew members. I think he's probably a wonderful captain to them." Marco agreed with that statement.

"I'm sure we'll see more, since we have months until their destination," Marco replied. He thought of how many times he'd told Izo he had time to make a good impression. And Ace firmly said they would never be friends, and Marco thought that was very reasonable, after what he knew the sixteenth division commander was _still_ doing.

Marco just sat on his captain's shoulder for a while, able to calm down and think clearly. Eventually, Ace walked out, scowling about the crutches, still. Then, the first mate was surprised that Izo was following him, looking like he was begging. But Ace didn't spare him any attention, any sign that he was listening.

He watched with a blank expression. It was like Izo was talking to a brick wall. Whitebeard watched it, too, before asking, "Did the fight involve Ace?" Marco nodded and the captain sighed. "I love Izo, but he needs to control his curiosity." Marco nodded again, this time accompanied with a sigh.

Eventually Izo realized it was over, Ace was not listening, and he went back inside, looking defeated. Marco didn't know what he expected to happen. He had a second chance right in front of him but he _didn't take it._ Foolish brother.

After dinner that night, Marco and Whitebeard checked on Teach. The bastard was still alive, though both of his shoulders were out of their sockets, still strung up to the ceiling by the chains. He deliriously looked at the two. "Did you have a nice stay?" Marco asked coldly. Teach just blinked at them. He was barely alive.

"M-arco," he groaned. He was a dying man, it wasn't surprising that he'd beg. Teach had never been brave or stuck out as a fighter. He was weak in physical fighting compared to many on this crew. But that devil fruit would have made him virtually invincible. But, he lost that chance because Thatch decided to do something out of the ordinary. Something Marco hadn't expected.

Whitebeard walked forward and took the chains off of the ceiling. His arms collapsed down and he screamed at it. Marco took vindictive pleasure in his screams. His shattered shoulder was only worse, now. Man, Marco didn't want to play any game with throwing things with Ace. Damn, he was still impressed and honestly, amused.

"P-lease," Teach begged. Marco thought he was going to beg for his life, maybe apologize like the weakling he was. But instead, he said, "Ki-ll me."

"Don't worry, you'll be in hell soon," Marco said. He took the cuffs and dragged him through the ship, him moaning in pain or confusion. He was pale and looked like garbage. Which he was, so it wasn't so weird. They drew attention from everyone when they were dragging him out of the ship. Commanders had automatically gathered. Ace was sitting on the railing carefully, his crew around him. They were watching with blank stares.

Marco went back inside and got chum and threw it into the water. The commanders stood behind him and Pops, watching in silence, though their eyes were full of hate, anger or coldness. Once they saw a great white shark, Pops seemed to think that would be the best choice. Teach wouldn't be eaten completely. He'd be eaten by a shark or bitten and left to bleed and _then_ the sea kings would come.

The first mate kicked the traitor into the water. The shark grew interested and took a big bite out of his abdomen. It was big, _huge,_ and Teach would make a good meal for it. Teach screamed and then was dragged under by the shark, taken out of sight. They watched the ocean, and counted five minutes in silence to see if he resurfaced. He didn't.

To many others, the pirates were just resuming what they'd been doing would be seen as heartless. Marco knew that wasn't it. They were furious at Teach, but now he was dead. It was hard for them, even if they didn't notice or didn't admit it. They were upset Teach had died, but only when thinking of the old times.

He heard Ace say he wouldn't like to go that way. The others agreed, and then they went back to speaking about whatever they'd been talking about before the execution that didn't concern them. It wasn't personal to them. Marco went back inside, and Fossa offered to help him clean out the cell. He accepted, and the two of them washed the smelly brig, cleaning up the mess he'd made that smelled rancid. But, it wasn't like they weren't expecting that.

But after they were out, they put their clothes in the laundry, got new ones and then went to shower. When Marco walked inside, he saw that Ace had been in there, as the tub was still draining, slowly. Marco chuckled when he saw three empty bottles of bubble bath. They still had plenty more, but there must have been a lot of bubbles if he did use three bottles.

He showered for longer than usual, longer than Fossa. He was thinking about what would have happened if Ace hadn't woken up at just the right time. Hadn't been in the right view, the right distance. Thatch would be dead. Teach was too cowardly to stay and act like he didn't do it. He was a good liar, after all.

So, Thatch would be dead. Izo and Marco would have been shattered. Pops, too. But those three were all near the same age, had been together for 20 years. Haruta would be devastated that his prank buddy was gone. They would go after Teach, but might lose to that devil fruit. The one he could have had.

Tears dripped down Marco's face. How could he betray them? It'd been so long. Did he honestly never see them as family? It was lucky Ace was around. He didn't feel anybody else bad, so Teach was the only one. The tears slowed, and he thought that somebody else could fill all of their hearts where Teach had been removed.

He wanted Ace to stay. Deuce, too. Both of them were good, good people. Marco hadn't really gotten to get to know the other Spades, but they were good, funny people on the beach that night. He finally turned the water off and stepped out and dried off before getting dressed. He looked in the mirror wall, at his tattoo. Teach had one. Disgusting. He hoped the traitor was rotting in hell.

When he left the bathroom, Izo was waiting in the hall. When he saw Marco, and his blank expression, Izo swallowed thickly and then apologized. "I'm sorry, Marco. I know I messed up, I know the consequences. Ace will never trust me, doesn't want to be around me. I can handle that. I don't like it, but I brought it onto myself. I can't have us be mad at each other. I can't be mad at another one. I can't risk something happening and we were angry at the end. You… don't have to forgive me. But I don't want to be angry and I don't want you to be angry," Izo begged.

Marco knew why. Seeing a brother die, even if he deserved it and everybody knew it, was still very hard. Marco sighed and nodded. "I… can't say I'm not mad at you. And I'm not the one you should apologize to, but I don't want to be on bad terms either." He sighed. "Just, please take others' feelings into account."

Izo nodded, and tears were in his eyes and Marco hugged him. The shorter commander cried. Marco knew it wasn't just about their fight, or Ace's justifiable reaction. It was what just happened. They would all be feeling like this for a bit.

The rest of the day was quiet. Dinner was quiet. Even the Spades were being quiet out of respect for the Whitebeards. Ace seemed understanding for them, which was good. He felt for them enough to be considerate for their loss, even if it meant nothing to him other than saving Thatch. He had no connection to Teach, he despised him from the start.

The Spades left first at dinner, and Marco assumed they went back outside since they went through the hall leading to storage and the exit, instead of the hall that headed towards the barracks and bedrooms.

Thatch was picking at his own food. There would be tons of leftovers, as Marco hadn't seen a single person go up for seconds. Marco decided he needed fresh air and headed outside after dumping what was left of his food and putting the plate and utensils where they always went after a meal.

He heard laughing outside, and wished that could be him, laughing. "No, really! I'm serious. Luffy caught his first animal, right? Then we went to the rope bridge and that idiot started jumping up and down on it until the wood under him broke and me and Sabo had to pull him up. His kill fell into the river below. Then he started crying about it."

"I wish we could meet Luffy. He sounds so stupid but also funny," Saber said. "You talk about him a lot."

"Well, yeah. He's my angel. We're brothers, even if it isn't by blood. That doesn't matter to us. Me, Sabo and Luffy were brothers. And then it was only Luffy. And we can meet him! Once he is a pirate and has his own crew and comes to the New World," Ace said animatedly.

Marco was listening in from around the wall. So, Ace had brothers that weren't by blood. He loved his little brother, and had another brother, Sabo. Blood doesn't matter to him. Marco felt a bud of hope in his chest. Ace had the capacity to see them as brothers if he joined.

"Maybe he can stay over on our new ship. We should make it big enough to hold more than just us. Not as big as this ship, it's too big," Ace said, crumbling some of Marco's hope. But, it had been less than a week.

He kept telling himself they had plenty of time. But would it be enough? Would more people shun him? And what if he slipped up and did expose himself with no other explanation? Marco knew everyone would find out if he joined. But he wasn't planning on joining, so he wouldn't tell anybody. And those people would need to accept him fully. Marco would never want Ace to join if the crew thought he was an unnatural abomination.

He heard a thud and some snoring, meaning Ace had fallen asleep. Marco sighed quietly and walked further from the back deck that was their spot. He went to the figure head and laid down on his back. The ship had stopped for the night, and he listened to the breeze and gentle rock of the ship on the currently calm sea.

The stars were so bright. He closed his eyes for just a minute until there was a roar and the sound of creaking wood, the ship sloshing back and forth. He thought Ace had lost control, but he hadn't. A sky dragon arrived. None had ever come during the night. The Spades had just barely made it inside before it landed and came into view.

Marco bowed to it, and it slammed its hand down, demanding food. Marco hurried inside, and already pirates were hauling meat out of the storage room. They all stayed low, their heads bent down. It scarfed down the food instantly. Marco thought it would leave before it raised its head and sniffed the air, its head jerking to the side. It walked more onto deck, pirates running out of its way, trying to stay out of its sight. Marco worried. Ace had told him water dragons hated sky dragons, and vice versa.

The dragon ripped the door off of its hinges, sniffing inside wildly, reaching its huge hand inside and trying to grab anything. Screams were heard inside as it grew more frenzied, trying to get inside. When it realized it couldn't get in, it clawed its way down the side of the ship and sniffed the hull. Where the brig rested.

Pirates were shouting for help, not knowing what to do but knowing the dragon was and would continue to damage their ship. Marco knew he'd be swatted away like a fly. Only Pops could fight against it. And it wasn't like Ace could shift and come see it, his leg was still damaged and had at least four more days until it was good enough to walk on, let along change shape and size and go swimming.

Pops came out with his bisento, ready to attack it. "Dragon! Leave this place! Now!" he bellowed. The sky dragon moved it's long neck up and stared at the captain with a look of, _What did you just say to me?_ "Leave!" It snarled at him and the captain had his bisento ready before a _massive_ sea king launched out of the water and bit down on the dragon, dragging it under, thrashing around and screeching.

Everyone was still and silent. They stayed silent for a good minute before they were sure the trouble was over. They all let out a collective sigh while some fell to the deck in relief and fear. They'd never had a sky dragon like _that_ before. Marco wondered if it would be safe to have Ace on board when they came.

Well, if they did come, Ace could always just go under water until it was taken care of. The deck was a splintered mess. Usually the sky beasts perched on the side of ships, never going on deck. This time it was completely mad. The door was ripped off, and there were large holes and scratches in the walls and doors in the hallway it thrust its huge hand in. Whitebeard sighed in relief.

He looked at Marco, who nodded and flew to the side of the ship to see the damage. He was surprised to see there were only scratches, but no deep holes. Only the deck and door seemed to have taken damage. Luckily, the mast and sails were fine as well. He landed and relayed that information.

Everyone was relieved the ship wasn't taking on water. Fossa was the commander of the shipwright division, so they got to work immediately. Marco went inside to find Ace. He found them in the brig clubhouse. Ace was laying on the couch while the others were on the floor pillows.

"That was a close one," Marco commented. Ace nodded, but seemed to be in pain. Instead of asking Ace about what just happened, he asked if his leg was alright. Deuce, sounding ashamed, said it had banged into the wall.

Ace said, "I'm not mad, it was an accident."

"I know, but still," Deuce mumbled. Marco looked at him with an understanding look. Marco had been careless with injured brothers, too. But that was mostly when he was younger. Now, he was fine. The other first mate asked if the ship took any damage.

"Luckily, it only got the deck and the entrance and hallway." He made sure the brig door was closed, and then said, "Sky dragons sure do hate water dragons, right?" Ace tensed and turned to glare at Marco.

"And?" he demanded.

Marco put his hands up. "I'm not mad or blaming you. Nobody got hurt, the ship took completely repairable damage. But it really wanted to get to you. Lucky a sea king showed up when it did." Ace relaxed a bit, knowing he wasn't being accused of anything. He said that he'd never actually gotten in a fight with one before.

"I don't know why this one reacted like that. None have ever acted like that when they raided our ship," Finamore said. "Did it act strange in any other ways?" Marco answered that it had been rude and demanding, like they always were, but then smelled Ace and got into a frenzy. The Spades were perplexed.

"I think I know," Deuce chimed, taking everybody's attention. "Ace has bled on this ship. On deck. Dragons are very sensitive to blood, right? Then it probably smelled Ace that way. After all, none have acted like that before. Rarely did any of us get hurt, and especially not Ace, on our home ship."

Marco thought that was a good hypothesis, and nodded. He glanced at Ace's leg. The crutches were resting against the arm of the couch. He was really glad they liked this space. It would stay there even if they did join for good. Ace looked like he wanted to ask something, but wasn't comfortable. Marco asked what was up. "Izo keeps apologizing to me," he spat. Clearly not having _any_ positive experiences with the commander. "Can you get him to just leave me alone?"

He hid a wince. Ace really hated Izo. If he joined, Marco wasn't sure that he would forgive him even then. "I can try. I do think he meant it the first time, but then he relapsed. I destroyed everything he had about you. Flushed it down the toilet." Ace was surprised at this. "What? It's your private information. Even if much of it was speculation, it was taken wrongly. I mean, if he'd interviewed you willingly, it would be fine to write it down. But that's not what happened, so I fixed it," the first mate explained simply.

Ace looked surprised and then bit his lip. "Why'd you fight with him over me?" he wondered. It was asked in confusion, not insecurity.

"I'm your friend. It wasn't right for him to do that. You have every right to be angry at him, and I'm not going to try to convince you to give him another chance. He's my brother but that doesn't mean I'm always going to take his side," Marco said. Ace let out a small smile.

"You're my friend, too, Marco." His eyes widened and Ace grinned. "You and Thatch only, though." Marco didn't ask about Pops. It would be weird to him to think of someone like Whitebeard as a friend. Not in the same way he considered him and Thatch. "But, my crew is my pack. They're more important and I will choose them over you."

There he went, ruining the mood. Marco chuckled and said, "I like your honesty. Though you're quite blunt." The Spades snickered. Deuce told him he ruined the mood. "No, it's fine. I'm not aiming to be more important than you guys. I want to be friends with all of you, even if you are only staying until we get you a new ship," Marco explained. Ace nodded in approval.

"Well, I'm going to go back up and help with the repairs. I hope your leg feels better soon, Ace."

"You and me both," Ace replied in irritation. Marco left the brig, closing the door on his way back. He stopped at the top of the stairs and smiled. Ace said he was his friend. _That's_ how you become friends with people. Honesty and kindness. Though Ace had his own charm, even if he came across rude sometimes. A lot of the time.

But he was interested in the term "pack". He wondered if that meant his family or his closest friends. He'd established a tier without meaning to. Ace, then his pack, then his friends, then his acquaintances and then everybody else. Thatch and Marco were the third tier, and the Spades were the second.

Marco assumed Luffy and Sabo were above all of those. They were his brothers. Important more than anybody else. He continued on outside to go help out with the repairs. Nobody would know about why the dragon acted how it did. Pops and Thatch maybe. And Namur. He wasn't sold on Ace, so he may raise a problem with this.

Well, it was Pops' decision whether to welcome him, and Marco had no doubt this incident will change a thing.


	15. Wonderful Discovery

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: He definitely makes it hard in this one.

#### Vann_Dorothy: I don't think there are many more dragon encounters, I honestly can't remember lol.

#### Lowkeystalkin_orange: Aww, I'm so happy my story helped you out! Marco is the best ever, Ace is finally realizing that lol. 

#### ISawAGh0st: "Ace, Thatch and Marco" have their own tag they're so popular lol. Izo is a lost cause even though he is somewhat trying later. Just too many strikes, maybe.

* * *

**We have a happy time here in this chapter! Somebody comes along to make Ace's day. Enjoy~**

* * *

"Yeah!" Ace cheered, taking off the bandage to see his leg was fine but some scars. He jumped up and down, so happy to get rid of the crutches. He did manage not to burn them to pieces, since the ship only had so many.

It was night time, late at night, and Ace needed a swim. He ran out of the room, grabbing the ticket-present. He knocked on Thatch's door. Though he might have woken him up just by how happy he was about his leg.

He'd been nervous to look all day. Afraid that it wouldn't heal correctly, it would be mangled forever. But it was back to normal but some scars. Those on his chest were there, but fading with every day. Thatch opened his door, looking exhausted. Ace waved the ticket in front of his face. The Spades fell asleep after seeing where and what Ace was doing.

Thatch nodded, and got a hairband. Ace had never thought about him _not_ having his pompadour. His hair was pretty long. Jeez, how did he get it how he wore it? How much damn work would that take? A lot, it seemed. Marco had told Ace that he spent at least two hours a morning on his hair before breakfast.

Ace didn't understand why you would waste time like that, but it was just his style, he guessed. Thatch put a jacket over his pajamas and the two went outside. Thatch brought a cigarette so it would look like he was having a smoke. When they got out and went to the back deck, Ace said he might be out for a while before he dove into the water.

It felt like heaven, and he just floated below the surface for a bit, eyes closed and enjoying the water. He turned into his dragon form and swam deeper, far away, his leg working perfectly fine. He could see everything easily, even in the dark water. He smelled and heard nothing threatening.

He wasn't hungry since he'd eaten a lot of dinner, but he wanted the thrill of the hunt, so he went searching for anything big. Something that smelled meaty and fishy, not like mammals. He found a sea king asleep, and let it be. They slept on the bottom of the ocean, where nothing and nobody could harm them.

Besides other sea kings and water dragons. He found one that was sleepy but still awake, and roared at it, making it freak out and jerk to attention before it did what Ace wanted it to. It swam away as fast as it could. Ace went at a more leisurely pace, being cruel to the beast and prolonging its terror before death.

He finally sped up and chomped down on it, eating a lot of it despite not being hungry. There was nothing more satisfying to eat than something you worked for. Even better, if you caught it yourself. Sea king blubber was delicious raw, even if it didn't taste good cooked at all. He then left it's untasty remains and explored the sea floor some more before he heard a beeping noise.

The dragon went to investigate and found what was making the noise. A submarine. But why was it just resting on the bottom of the ocean? He heard people inside, swearing colorfully. They were alive, so was the ship broken? He swam closer, hundreds of times bigger than it. He could eat it like a snack. It was clearly meant for only a few people.

He swam right in front of it, looking into the cockpit. He probably looked absolutely terrifying. To them, only his face was seen since the sub lights lit him up while the rest of the sea bed was pitch black. He felt bad for them. He wasn't a hero, though. He looked closely inside and saw there was a woman with short hair, looking like she'd been crying, and a blonde man who looked around his age. So not a man yet. Technically.

The guy looked familiar, but Ace couldn't place him. But the guy gave him a look of shock, and not fear. Maybe they didn't count on water dragons being around, and had only bet on sea kings. It looked clear that the sub had taken damage, but was still airtight for them. Though they'd suffocate eventually.

The blonde slammed his hands against the window, looking at Ace with huge, round eyes. " _Ace!"_ he shouted, the part dragon able to hear him easily. He was immediately on guard, and wanted to demand how he knew his name. " _Ace, it's me! It's Sabo!"_ Ace was shocked and angry that anyone would say that name before he finally just _looked._

He was blonde, had very round eyes, and wore a fancy outfit. There was a pipe next to his seat. The girl was looking utterly confused. Where the fuck had he been all this time?! Ace was angry. " _I'm sorry! I've been looking for you! Where were you?!"_ Ace thought he should answer that question.

" _Can we talk about this outside?!"_ she shouted. Ace glared at her, and old Sabo told him to not get offended right now. Ace swam to the back, looking at them like he'd disappeared, only he curled his hand around the sub gently, making sure not to put too much pressure. He brought it to the surface, and nothing came after him. No sea kings or other curious creatures.

The submarine breached the surface, and suddenly inflation devices came out, keeping it above the water. The girl inside cheered, having thought they were going to die. Ace would be more comfortable in dragon form, even if this was his Sabo, but he couldn't speak like this. So he shifted back and tread water until the hatch squealed open.

The Moby Dick was completely out of sight, far from there. He would easily find his way back, though. He was going to be leaving Thatch there for a long time. Poor guy. Well, it was his idea to let Ace use that ticket whenever he wanted. There was no time limit, no rules. For his sake, he should have made some.

Sabo burst out and looked at Ace with red eyes before he jumped into the freezing water to hug him. Ace pulled away on instinct, but Sabo didn't let him go and hugged him tighter. "Why don't you get inside instead of being in the freezing water?" the woman asked impatiently. Ace glared at her, but both of them walked onto the top, but Ace refused to get inside.

Sabo seemed to not be surprised and sat on the top next to him. "Where the fuck have you been?" Ace demanded. Why had he left them there? All alone? Both of them had been heartbroken for a long time. Losing Sabo felt like somebody tore out a piece of his soul. Luffy managed to fill that hole eventually all by himself, but it had still been painful.

"When the celestial dragon shot at me, I lost my memories. Then _Monkey D._ Dragon rescued me and took me into the Revolutionary army," he explained. The girl shouted at him to not say that name. "That name means something to both of us. I'm giving away secret intel. Can you go inside, Koala? This is kind of a personal moment?"

Polite, like he'd always been. Had nothing changed for him? Memory loss? It sounded stupid. But… he knew Sabo. _Had_ known him. If he had his memories, he would have gone back for them. He would have gone back for Ace and Luffy. But he hadn't.

Koala closed the hatch with a huff, and then it was only them. "I've been looking for you ever since your bounty skyrocketed after turning down the warlords. I remembered you from your wanted poster.

"I've been keeping track, but then you disappeared onto a Whitebeard island. And I expected the worst. That you attacked him and died," Sabo said, sounding very upset.

"Well, I _did_ attack him, and I lost. Then he kidnapped me and my crew, wanting to force us on their crew. It was a nightmare. It was terrible. Three of them were nice, they figured it out. The rest were cruel."

"Where are you now?" Sabo asked, smiling even though the story wasn't happy. He was just happy to see Ace. He probably couldn't see the tattoo on his arm in that lighting. All there was was the moon light. It was enough for Ace, but he didn't know about Sabo.

Ace said he wasn't finished, and Sabo nodded. "We finally convinced them to let us off, but when we got back to our ship, somebody had burned it down. There were barely any remains." Sabo gasped in horror. "Nobody knows why the guy did it. Why or how. He dropped dead before I got to beat the shit out of him."

Sabo again asked where he was now. If he was living as a dragon. Ace shook his head. "I'm back on the Whitebeards' ship. They had a traitor on board and I sensed it. He tried to kill one of the good ones, Thatch. I was on the beach and they were on the ship. I threw a dodgeball really hard and it shattered his arm." Sabo started laughing. "It's true! I saved his life with a dodgeball. After that, of course, people started to accept me. Only four know, though.

"They promised me and my crew to take us to an island and buy us a ship," Ace said. "They feel bad about being the cause of losing our ship… my safe space," he mumbled, his face and demeanor falling. Sabo put his hand on Ace's shoulder, but didn't say anything. "Why… why did you not remember us?" Ace asked in a broken voice.

"I hit my head. And the explosion didn't help," Sabo said, showing his arm's burns. "If I remembered, you know I would have gone back to you both. You were my only family. _Are_ my only family. I want to find Luffy, too." Ace said he missed Luffy. But that he'd be setting out next year and he'd get a bounty pretty soon after. Sabo's face fell again. "I'm sorry I missed out. I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't and I have to accept this life."

Ace knew he was right, there was nothing to be done. They couldn't do anything to change it. It was in the past, and neither had a time traveling devil fruit. Sabo changed the subject, which Ace was thankful for. "You're huge, now," he said. Ace nodded. "How big?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't been measured, there's no ruler big enough. Bigger than the Whitebeards' ship, though. And every ship, really."

"You're the ultimate apex predator, Ace. A human brain with a dragon body. Plus a devil fruit," Sabo joked. Ace didn't laugh. He sighed, knowing he'd probably not see Sabo again after this. Not hear from him again.

"I really missed you, Sabo. I took terrible care of Luffy. He was almost killed by a bear cause I was a jerk. He fell off cliffs, ate things he shouldn't have. You were supposed to be there! I needed your help!" he cried. He knew he was being unfair, in the back of his mind. Sabo didn't do it on purpose. "Why didn't you trust me? I could have gotten the three of us off the island. We could have set off together. Not fucking you going off on your own."

Sabo flinched. "I know now, I should have stayed with you. I just… I worried about you two. I didn't want any more attention on you than there was." Ace looked away. It still wasn't a good excuse. If Sabo had trusted him… things would have turned out different. Sure, things did work out in the end. But it involved a lot of guilt and self-hatred and doubt. That Sabo never thought he was competent.

"We _agreed._ We would set out together and you went off on _your own_ ," Ace said in a hard voice. "You left us behind. Even if you hadn't died, you left us behind." Sabo was looking so guilty. And he should be. Before he died, the three of them wanted to set out together. Ace was scared of being caught, so Sabo said they'd go out together to protect him and one another.

He only set off on his own when he and Luffy agreed to be strong pirates on their own. That hadn't always been the plan. Their real plan had been derailed. "I'm so sorry. I can't say anything other than that. I wish I could change things, I do! But I can't. Nobody can." Ace knew he was right, and wiped his tears away furiously.

The quiet was awkward for a moment before Sabo asked what Ace was planning with the Whitebeards. Ace was glad for a change from talking about the past or their once desired future. "It'll take months to get where we need to be. Me and my crew of six are hitching a ride."

"Hitching a ride on the Whitebeard pirate ship?" Sabo asked, trying to inject humor into the conversation. It didn't work well.

"To us it's that. They want to keep us. They're nice and all, most of them, but I… I don't know. I don't want to stay. Over the next two months or more, I have no doubt they'll try to recruit me, recruit us. You know, I actually had considered staying. Whitebeard told me I could be in a family that loves me for me. I was a prick, but he said that anyway. I tried to make myself approachable, but you know what I'm like. It's instinct to keep people at an arm's distance." Sabo nodded, knowing that this was true. Ace had always been closed off.

"Anyways, they didn't try and return the feelings. I was a jackass, but I honestly tried to be better. I apologized and everything. Then one guy cornered me and started interrogating me cause he thought I was lying. I was, but it wasn't his business. He grabbed me and I threw him off. Then he told me 'you will never belong here'. It kind of broke me. After seeing me like I was, they agreed to let me go home. But home was gone."

Sabo took his hand and gave him an understanding look. There were no words to explain the look other than: "You're okay."

"What do you feel about them, now?" Sabo asked curiously, softly.

Ace shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not really close to any of them. They haven't shown me the respect I require to get to know somebody. But I also can't just tell them to bow and be respectful. Being part dragon sucks sometimes. But, Whitebeard is definitely a good man. He loves his crew, his 'children'. And he's respectful to me. I had an episode when I desperately wanted to get off.

"But to do that I had to make the only two that liked me, hate me. They were so nice, you know, and I can't be an asshole to people who are good to me. So I trashed Marco's room. When I was freaking out, Whitebeard bowed completely. As in, putting his forehead on the floor." Sabo gasped in shock at the strongest man in the world bowing to _Ace._

Sabo asked, "Would you reconsider staying with them?" Ace was confused, and asked why Sabo was championing for them. "You hear terrible things about him from the public and marines. But I've been on his protected islands. They adore him and his crew. They all treat one another as family."

"It doesn't matter, Sabo. I can't be myself with them. And I cannot tell them what I am. Marco, Thatch, Namur and Po-... Whitebeard knows but nobody else. I don't want them to betray me. Have so many people report me, be witnesses." He had heard Thatch and Marco call Whitebeard "Pops" everytime they speak of him.

He heard "Pops" more than "Whitebeard". It wasn't surprising that he'd accidentally use the term everyone else did. For a minute, he thought he was seriously calling him Pops, but then the rational side of him came up with a satisfactory explanation.

"If they welcome you now, then having anybody blab would be a betrayal. And what happened to the man that betrayed them?" Sabo asked.

Ace shook his head. "Teach tried to kill Thatch. If somebody had a big mouth, I'm positive they wouldn't be kicked off or executed. I would probably be the one in trouble for attacking whoever leaked it." Sabo finally gave in. Ace was glad he didn't try to convince him anymore, he was confusing him.

"Will you tell me about your crew? The Spades?" Sabo asked. Ace gladly talked about them. He talked with Sabo until the sun rose. Ace completely forgot about Thatch waiting for him. They were both exhausted, and Sabo got a den den mushi and put it in a plastic container. It was time for them to part again. They caught up on one another's' lives, the present and since they were separated. "Call this and it'll reach my post, okay? I don't want to disappear on you again. Never again. And I'll see Lu, too," he said with a watery smile.

Ace sniffled and nodded, hugging his brother tightly. The submarine was working again, Koala got it fixed before she fell asleep. Ace took the plastic bag in his hand and swam deeper before changing form and making his way back to the Moby Dick. Poor Thatch. But he had a good reason for staying out so late!

-x-

"Thatch? What are you doing?" Marco asked an exhausted looking Thatch. He should be making breakfast by now. "What happened?"

Thatch yawned and rolled onto his side. "That jackass made me look out and never came back," he said angrily. Marco grew extremely concerned, and took off flying. But he heard the sound of water rushing and saw the shadow of a massive dragon beneath the ship, eclipsing it. Ace was frighteningly large.

He shifted and Marco watched the shadow shrink until it was too small to see, leaving no impression behind. He was angry, though. That he went off for so long. But at least he came back. He flew down and picked Ace up under the arms. When he landed, Ace walked to Thatch and started to apologize.

"You jerk, you manipulated me!" Thatch accused, though it sounded like a tired whine. "Left me out here all night." Ace looked frustrated. Marco told Thatch to let him explain, and then saw the plastic bag with something in it, gripped in Ace's hands.

"I did go exploring, and I found a submarine on the bottom of the sea. I brought it back to the surface. It was him. Sabo is alive, and I found him. I didn't mean to stay out so late, but I thought he was dead and it's been seven years since I thought he died. He… didn't trust me enough to set sail with me. He went off on his own and left me and Luffy behind." He sank to the deck and pulled his knees up. "We thought he died, but apparently he just fuckin' hit his head and forgot about us. I wish he didn't go off on his own. I don't like this. I don't like how things turned out," Ace rambled.

"B-But I'm so happy he's alive," the teen said, and Marco and Thatch were shocked to see him crying in front of them. Thatch moved first and slowly sat next to Ace. He put his arm around his shoulders, and the partial dragon didn't pull away. Marco sat down, too.

"What's he like now?" Marco asked, sitting across from him. Ace didn't hesitate to tell them about his life. But not the names or places he was told. "A revolutionary?" Marco asked in shock. He hadn't heard of Sabo, a revolutionary. Ace nodded. Thatch commented that he had a crazy family.

"Garp the Fist, a revolutionary, bandits, a stupid kid, and a dragon. Quite the colorful family!" Thatch said, not angry at all anymore. Marco knew he would skip making breakfast that morning. Marco was touched that Ace was opening up like this. Marco knew it was temporary and he'd close up again, but this was nice. To talk to him like this.

"Garp and the bandits aren't like Luffy and Sabo. They were just doing the bare minimum to keep me alive. Well, Garp just _trained_ us when it was actually just beating the shit out of us," Ace grumbled. "Asshole."

Thatch grew furious that Ace was beaten as a kid. Ace said it had been a test of his will. He didn't attack back as a dragon. He didn't let Garp know, he never knew. Marco was impressed that he hid it his whole life, even as a young child when the life altering incident took place. With a dragon that somehow mistook Ace for it's baby. A stupid dragon it was.

"I'm tired. I'm sorry, again, Thatch. For leaving you hanging," Ace said sincerely. Thatch waved his hands animatedly and said he wasn't angry. He was happy for him, and Ace nodded before heading inside and to bed. He brought the den den Sabo gave him with him. They watched him before he was out of sight, walking down the stairs to the newly repaired middle deck before going inside.

Thatch was tearing up. "I'm so happy for him," he said. Marco nodded in agreement. It was strange but nice for him to talk to them like he did. Thatch went back to bed for a while, skipping breakfast, though Marco went to eat. Ace did walk in, but didn't make eye contact with Marco at all. Marco understood.

Ace felt he revealed too much. Well, the best way to remedy that was to not call attention to it. Not bring that to the forefront, not bring it up. It happened, they don't need to dwell on it. He didn't know if Thatch could do that, but Marco hoped he could. Marco didn't stare when Ace walked by again, going back to his breakfast.

The teen seemed to be in a daze all day. Not from exhaustion, and there was no way to explain it to anybody, because how did Ace find the submarine at the bottom of the ocean? Nobody knew he was a dragon, or part dragon, so he had no alibi with how he found his dead brother. Formerly-dead brother.

Marco was surprised but pleased when Vista came to Marco and asked if he knew what was wrong with Ace. Marco asked him why he wanted to know. "He seems off like this. I can't help but be a bit worried."

He asked, "But you don't like him, right?" Vista said he hadn't been on either side. But that he was just a kid, and he now regretted the way the crew treated him. How needlessly mean they were to him. "I think he had some sleep problems last night. I don't know what else it would be," Marco lied smoothly.

Vista stroked his mustache. "Hmmm. That's probably right," he amended. Marco watched his brother walk away with a light smile. Everyone was giving Ace another chance. It seemed like it was the opposite now. They were trying for Ace. He wasn't the one being rejected by them. They were rejected by him. So far.

It was weird thinking it was only a few weeks ago that the roles were completely switched. Marco thought things could change. He'd tried so hard before. Maybe after realizing that he was welcome and even wanted would make him think about staying. It was his decision, he was captain. And his crew already said they were fine as long as it was with Ace and as long as he was happy.

Marco got multiple questions of concern, and so had Thatch and Pops. Pops didn't know what had happened, and Thatch just lied about it, too. After lunch, Ace spent most of the day in their room. Marco came and checked on him once, and he was sleeping. He was up all night, but it was probably emotional exhaustion.

After learning his dead brother was not dead and forgotten about him probably caused emotional fatigue and he just needed to sleep it off. Deuce told him he just needed space for today. Even they left him alone. So, Ace had a very peaceful day, and Thatch brought him food. Comfort food. He made him comfort foods that were boring, still.

Nobody really noticed Ace not eating the same food as everybody else because it always looked like their own. On burger night, Ace had burgers but with no condiments, and the meat had no additive flavors. Thatch was very attuned to his needs. The rest of his crew ate whatever they were fed, but Ace was picky.

Marco was on watch that night for the second half, and was in the crows nest when he felt the presence come out of the ship. He looked over the edge and saw Ace walking to the railing. He wasn't going swimming because he had a blanket wrapped around himself. It wasn't for warmth, since Ace never got cold, even in freezing water in the deepest parts of the ocean. Meaning he had it for comfort.

When he curled into a ball against the wall, Marco flew down and walked over. Ace didn't respond, just kept bundled up in the blankets. The sky was clear of clouds, so the moonlight offered plenty of natural light.

Marco sat down and didn't say a thing. They sat in silence for a good ten minutes, Marco just being there, before Ace spoke. "Everything feels wrong," he said suddenly. "He's supposed to be dead and he's not." He didn't sound bothered, just confused. Marco just let him speak. "I'm glad he is, but everything feels like a lie. Everything I've felt since that day… was invalid. He wasn't actually dead. If I had just gone searching for his body. Maybe I could have gotten him back. But he left for a reason…" He looked at the den den mushi he had in his hands, having brought the bag out with him.

Marco said, "It's okay to be angry and upset. It doesn't mean you wish he was dead. And it doesn't make your feelings invalid. You felt them for a good reason." He said it quietly. Gently, almost. Like a whisper but just a little bit louder.

"I just can't believe he forgot about us so easily. Like we didn't even matter to him." Marco had a feeling Ace wouldn't grasp how a head injury would cause memory loss. Marco told him he'd be right back, and hurried inside and to the infirmary, picking out the book he sought and hurried back outside.

He sat next to Ace, who thankfully had stuck around. Marco opened the book and spent the rest of his watch educating Ace on how memory loss would happen, how it was caused and how it could be returned. When Ace was too tired and went to bed, he was visibly better. It wasn't that he did something wrong, it was Sabo's brain's response to the head trauma. His brother didn't forget him because he didn't love him. It was not his fault and it was purely a thing that happened to the brain, uncontrollable.

Marco hoped Ace would be in a better mood the next day. He thought Ace hadn't processed it yet, and so wasn't happy about him being alive. It wasn't cemented yet. But having the den den mushi was good. It made him sure he hadn't imagined everything. It was concrete proof that his long lost brother was not lost.

He was alive, and Ace could see him again some day if he wanted to.

Ace stayed mostly inside again the next day, worrying many more. The more he acted this way, the more attention it brought. Attention a grieving Ace didn't need or want. He was grieving all of the pain he'd suffered that he felt had been for nothing. His old reality, where he thought he knew everything. His world was thrown into chaos when something that made him who he was today suddenly changed.

Marco could empathize with him. He had his own dark past that he thought was one thing when it really wasn't. Ace already trusted Marco, and admitted to being his friend, so Marco wasn't aiming to be on friendlier terms when he went to the Spades' room. He knocked on the door gently, and Ace opened it for him.

He was still wrapped in the same blanket as the other night. Marco walked in and sat on the mattress on the floor. They really should do something to make this room more accommodating for them. "How are you?" Ace shrugged one shoulder and said nothing. "I wanted to tell you a story. Do you want to hear it?" Ace shrugged but then nodded.

"I was seven years old when my parents ditched me. They abandoned me, and I was brought to an orphanage. They just left me without a word. I hated them, because the orphanage I was in was a terrible place. The other children were miserable, too. I was put there because my parents let me go without a word.

"I honestly don't remember anything good about them, nothing specific. Just that I loved them and then I didn't anymore. I was raised in the orphanage until I was fourteen. It was suddenly closed, and all of the kids were put onto the streets. All because my parents abandoned me without a word. They were the cause of all the terrible things in my life.

"I was an angry child. It made sense, I lived a hard and not enviable life. There was nothing to like there. I wandered my island, which was large, and mostly decimated today. I made my way up the mountain, starving and exhausted. I wasn't really going anywhere. I had nowhere to go, I was just moving forward. What I thought was moving forward.

"It was more like I was stuck between two parts of my life. My life Before and my life after joining Pops. I actually met him in a cemetery. It held my parents. I found their grave, and I spat on it. But I stared at it for a long time, hating it. I didn't feel bad for their deaths. They left me to live a life full of abuse and self-hatred.

"On the third day that I was in the cemetery, starving, a lady who lived in that village came over. I didn't react, really. I didn't notice her even though she was right in front of me until she started talking. I remember every word. 'It's such a shame they never found the child they searched for. They spent every penny on searching for him, but never found him. All because the poor boy was swiped away.' I don't remember being swiped away, whatever that meant. 'Such a shame. I just hope they don't meet him in the afterlife'. Then she left.

"I sort of broke. I had hated and loathed them when they didn't do what terrible thing I thought they did. I spit on their grave when there was no reason to. But my whole world, my outlook on life, was thrown into chaos. Why did I hate my life if I wasn't abandoned? Why did I think I was worthless when I never was considered that? Why was I so angry, when I had no reason to be?

"After that, things got slowly better after I joined with Pops, but that's not the point of what I'm saying. It's okay to be confused, to grieve what you thought you knew. That reality where your brother died is no longer reality. It's scary, when everything you knew was wrong. But your brother is alive. Be happy after you are done mourning.

"Not the death of someone, but the loss of your reality. It's okay to not feel happy right now. You know you are happy that Sabo is alive, you just aren't feeling it yet," Marco finished with a kind smile. "And that is okay."

Ace had tears down his cheeks, his face bright red. He curled up and started to sob. Marco didn't know if he would want it, but he couldn't just leave him there. He sat on the bed next to him and hugged him. Ace cried into his shirt, completely breaking apart. Marco rubbed circles on his back until he was calm again.

He backed away, face bright red, and apologized. "I came in here with the goal to comfort you. I hope I did a good job," Marco said with a sincere and warm smile. Ace wiped his nose and nodded.

"I'm sorry about your parents. Mine died before I could remember them," Ace said. There was a strange look in his eyes. He was deliberating saying anything. Marco would not press.

"While I feel bad for how I thought of them, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for that life. I have Pops now, and all of these brothers. Some are dicks, but most of them are precious to me. I left one life and went to another. And this is your life from what you went through with Sabo. You and Luffy setting off on your own, becoming strong pirates. I am sorry that you're stuck here, but all of you is from your experiences. Nobody lives a perfect life. Not even world nobles. Everyone has troubles or doubts or unpleasant memories.

"Pops somehow finds people he thinks need love and care. We have a therapist on board just by how many he adopted that had problems. Anxiety, depression, even PTSD. But we're all family, no matter our troubles. Like you were with Luffy and are with your crew. I'm sorry if I'm being preachy, I'm just being as honest as I can," Marco explained.

Ace shook his head. "I don't think you're being preachy. Thank you. The story isn't happy, but you made me feel a little better." Marco smiled and said he was glad to help. "Can I tell you something else?"

"Of course," Marco said, settling in on the bed.

"Before I got contaminated or turned or whatever by the dragon, my life was already destined to be a mess from the day I was born. My father was Roger. Stupid pirate king," Ace grumbled. Marco was shocked, but then something Pops had said clicked. He'd known for a while. And had said nothing, because there was nothing that needed to be said.

"My mom died giving birth to me. By then, Roger was long dead. He asked Gramps to watch over me, but all he did was dump me on some bandits. Everyone in town, when I was stupid and went to bars, said that any kid from Roger should be tortured and killed. It messed me up. And it didn't help that I was then part dragon and had a terrible temper.

"I was all alone in multiple ways. But then Sabo came. And then after him, it was Luffy. They made me feel better. Then Sabo died, and all I had was Luffy. But he made me into a better person. I'm a better person than I was when Sabo last saw me. Last remembered me. I know I'm still messed up. With my temper and how easily I get agitated or offended or worried. I don't know where I'm going with this… I don't know," Ace said in a whisper at the end.

Marco said, "You're not a monster or deserve to be hurt because your father was the pirate king. We're all children of the sea." He was quoting Pops, but didn't say that until Ace called it cheesy. "It's what Pops says, not me. It is cheesy but said by someone else." Marco wasn't completely shocked that Ace's father was someone unexpected. Ace was already a strange case. But being the only of his kind as well as also being persecuted for his lineage… it must be scary. Trusting people.

Marco went out on a limb and said, "I'd have serious trust issues if I were you. Having to worry about both your family causing trouble and also having to worry about ever being caught about you know what. It would be stressful, and hard to trust anybody." Ace nodded and mumbled that it was. "Thank you so much for talking to me. I'm touched that you opened up to me."

Ace blushed and pointed out that Marco was the one who started this time. Marco just smiled and said that was true. "Can… you tell me what it was like? When you started being a crew with Whitebeard," Ace said hesitantly. Marco was more than happy to talk about then. Though he warned Ace of what a little shit he'd been as a kid. "Can't be worse than me."

"Oh, it definitely is," Marco said, and Ace laughed. Marco's mission was accomplished. He made Ace smile. Even if it was tears before, he got that smile.

The rest of the day showed a side of Ace that Marco never thought even existed. He followed Marco everywhere, but always at a distance, thinking he couldn't tell the youngest was there. Marco made no show he knew or that it bothered him. But others were confused about this. After dinner, and after Ace went to bed, Marco was in the captain's room, telling him about the things he'd told Ace.

"Gurararara, you took after me. I wasn't expecting you to tell Ace about that. You haven't told anybody else the full story. Why Ace?" Whitebeard questioned.

"Because he needed it. And I want him to become my little brother. I have to be a good older one." Whitebeard grinned proudly and laughed, taking a drink of his sake. Marco felt great. And he felt special that he seemed to have gotten through Ace's wall. Even if it was situational, he helped him out in a way only he could.

Everything he'd said was true, not an ounce of it was fabricated. And he was glad he could empathize with him when he needed someone to. To make him feel like he wasn't wrong for not feeling happy yet. Human emotions were complex. And though Ace was also part dragon, he was more human.


	16. A Changing Relationship

#### Fenrir_IndomitableSpirit: Marco is the perfect man. No wonder Ace feels how he does. *wink eyebrow raise*

#### ISawAGhost: I'm glad the feels hit! Little cinnamon roll is perhaps coming out of his shell.

#### Lowkeystalkin_orange: Thank you! This was one of the only stories where Ace meets up with Sabo again. In another one, Ace is just pissed off at him lol. I'm glad the emotions were appreciated.

#### Niss.Arsil: Yeah, I made it sad so he had more depth. Poor guy. But at least he's very happy now! And will soon be even happier.

* * *

Ace would miss Marco when they left. He wished they could take him with them, but Ace wasn't stupid. Marco would never come and Ace knew he would never be able to be a captain to somebody like Marco.

After duties, Thatch or Marco would come over and hang out with him and the Spades. Haruta tagged along with Thatch sometimes. Ace tried to welcome him. He was being nice and friendly. Ace had told him to "fuck off" the first time he tried, so he was doing his best to make the second time better.

Better as in not being an asshole. He didn't really understand why, every time he was friendly to somebody - civil - his crew would beam. Ace wasn't that bad, was he? That basic conversation was amazing and impressive? Was he that bad, really? He knew he had trust issues for good reason, but he didn't think he was completely unsociable.

But Ace didn't meet people on their terms before. He chose his crew, none of them were the instigators. But then why were they looking impressed and proud when he did basic things? He was hesitant to ask, not wanting to be insulted by a friend again. Last time was bad. But he was in a much worse mental state the last time. The only time he'd ever hurt himself or tried shifting completely dry.

Finally, two days after the looks, Ace asked them what their problems were. They were going to bed, after dinner. He was defensive already. Not knowing what he'd hear from his friends. Worried they'd be something mean or putting him down. He couldn't lose his crew. He knew he was a hassle, but he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

"We're proud," Deuce said simply. "You've connected with other people who you didn't approach first." Ace asked why they kept looking at him funny. "Is smiling really that weird?" Ace bristled, and Deuce deescalated the situation expertly. "It's nice to see you be open with others. It's nice to see you happy without us being there. And we're glad you're making friends here, even if we aren't staying."

Ace felt a pang of sadness at his words. He kept a straight face. "You guys made friends here, too. You're not always with me or together…" Finamore said the ship was nice. Not home, but lots of places to go. And that he could get exercise just walking around. Deuce said he was in love with their expansive library with thousands of books of all kinds. The others expressed things they liked about the Moby Dick.

"But you made friends, too," Ace said. "Right?"

Saber nodded. "We've made acquaintances. People we talk to a couple times more than usual. Not as strong a bond you have with Thatch and Marco, though. It's just nice to see you open up." Ace was embarrassed, feeling like a child who finally learned how to make friends. He nodded, and then fluffed up his pillow to go to sleep.

But he couldn't sleep, and he decided he needed a swim. To think away from everyone else. He tapped Deuce awake and he opened his eyes slowly. "I'm going on a swim. You don't have to guard."

His first mate nodded tiredly and then went back to sleep. Ace walked outside, and made sure nobody was around before dropping into the water and turning into a dragon, swimming away from the ship. It was cathartic. It gave him time to think to himself, but also relax in the way nothing but water did. And bathing didn't count, no matter how big the tub.

Being in the ocean was the only way. He was too big for most rivers and lakes. Luckily, most of the world was ocean. He swam a while east, following any curious noises. He came across multiple ships, and saw they were seastone from the bottom. Marine ships.

Might as well do something productive. He swam under them and poked holes in the hull with his fingers. They were huge, as thick as barrels, so they made deep and wide holes. Screaming was heard as the ships took on too much water. They started to sink, and Ace swam deeper to watch from below.

Marines jumped off the ship and into the New World water when the sinking ship started to pull them under, too. They managed to get some lifeboats off, but then they fought about who got to get on or not. It showed how disloyal to each other the marines were. Ace would have stuffed his whole crew on the boat. If it was unable to float due to the weight, Ace would carry it on his back while just below the surface.

He got bored when they started to row away, and decided to go back to the ship. When he got back, he swam under it and to the opposite side. He changed form and size, glad that nobody could sense him as a dragon or he'd be screwed, and climbed up the side of the ship. It was nice he could turn his hands into claws for climbing, but was dangerous when somebody unfamiliar touched him while he was asleep and they came out for self defense. What his body thought it needed to do for self-protection.

Ace peeked his head over the side of the ship and saw nobody there, climbing up, perfectly dry. He trotted inside, but heard Marco tell him goodnight from the crowsnest. Ace hadn't seen him there. Ace returned the sentiment and went to bed, keeping quiet enough to not wake his crew and roommates when he went back to his bed.

The next day, there was news around the ship that one of their subordinate crews were in the area and coming to visit. He was sitting with Deuce at the breakfast table when Whitebeard announced it. Ace knew they had a shit ton of subordinate crews, and all of them made names for themselves. He knew many of them, but there were too many to remember all of them.

He didn't ask, but heard who it was. Karma. He grew uneasy with that, knowing that the captain was a fishman. Namur had figured it out, so now he was definitely not meeting him. He'd stay inside and down in the clubhouse brig, as they'd started calling it. Still, nobody knew they went there. It really was a great hiding place, and Ace was so grateful for Marco being so considerate and understanding.

He _got_ Ace, weirdly. Ace always felt like a puzzle with all the pieces thrown about. He was hard to get to know, hard to figure out why he acted the way he did. But Marco pretty much figured out everything. Not just what he was, but how he felt about things, what he needed to hear when he needed to hear it.

Marco had pulled ahead of Thatch in friendship levels after the talk that helped Ace not feel guilty about being sad when he felt he shouldn't be. He felt happy about Sabo now. Cause of Marco. He glanced at the commanders' table and saw Marco looking pretty bored while he ate. When Ace was done, he went outside with his crew.

He liked outside more than being in the ship. He felt frozen. He didn't feel trapped just in the ship, only when he was somewhere he didn't want to be. Especially if the door ends up closing. And even more if they lights are off.

Thatch came out and asked how Ace was doing. "I'm good. Why?" he wondered. Thatch leaned against the railing. He grinned.

"You're being friendlier. Still cranky much of the time, but not the overwhelming majority. Did something change?" the chef asked. Ace looked at the sea. He hadn't noticed he was changing besides when he uncharacteristically cried with Marco and Thatch. And then when he fell apart and Marco hugged him. It was embarrassing. But it made him feel relieved afterwards.

"Maybe Sabo coming back. He would have died again if I hadn't been there," Ace said. "I'll worry about his stupid ass. Getting in a life or death situation twice. Or how many times it's happened before." He looked downwards more, seeing the waves splash against the ship below as they sailed on to the closest island still two weeks away.

The stretch from the first island to the second was very long. That one was a month. He heard Rayuko talk about them getting as many supplies as possible at the next island.

"Then there was the talk I had with Marco. I cried _again,"_ Ace said in annoyance. Thatch smiled and said Marco was always good at reading people. "Everybody?"

"Not everybody. But he's pretty good at reading you. He ended up gushing about you after the beach. Talking about how fun and funny you were, and he wanted everyone to see that side of you. You made quite the impression. And then saved me. With a dodgeball! Ahahaha!" Thatch busted up laughing.

Ace's face was bright red. He didn't really think the beach was that big of a deal. He was just goofing off with his crew. It wasn't like he was trying to make a good impression. That was how it would have been with or without Marco there. "You okay?" Thatch asked, seeing Ace's face. Ace nodded curtly and then said he had to go.

"Go where?" Thatch called in confusion. Ace didn't reply before he walked inside. He walked past Whitebeard, who stopped him on his way. He asked to talk to him, and Ace nodded. He didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't part of this crew, but being rude to Whitebeard wasn't possible anymore.

He could be snappy at them, the four who had shown respect, but was never _mean._ Didn't insult them anymore, flip them off, scoff at them. He was still snappy, but not all the time and not in ways that were direct targets from him.

They ended up in the captain's room, where Ace knew the most comfortable seat was. He was gestured to sit there while Whitebeard sat on the bed. "How are you? I haven't talked to you directly in a while." Ace was a bit surprised.

"Um, okay," Ace said. Whitebeard asked if he was no longer sad and lost, though he looked like he knew already. "Did Marco tell you? What I said?" Ace asked, his voice cold.

But the yonko shook his head. "He only told me the story he told you. But I already knew about it. He was a little brat at the beginning, but he told you that already." Ace nodded. From what Marco had told him, he had been worse than Ace was. Which was an amazing feat, in his opinion.

Though most of the Whitebeard crew didn't know that Marco. Only the goofy one he said he was at fifteen, and then the bored one that was now. Well, he didn't seem bored with Ace most of the time. He wondered why.

Whitebeard asked how he was doing about other things. How his nightly swims were going. Ace felt fine telling him, trusting him to not tell another soul what they talked about. So, Ace shocked him by describing his discovery of his formerly-thought to be dead brother. Then he threw out that he sank a few marine ships for fun the night before.

"I'm happy for you about your brother. Have you talked to him since? You have his den den mushi," Whitebeard asked lightly. Ace shook his head. He was afraid to, but didn't say that. It was embarrassing, being scared of talking to him, him changing his mind about Ace. "I see. I am happy for you, truly. What luck it was for you to find them! Gurarara," he laughed his weird laugh.

Ace nodded, admitting it was a crazy coincidence. There was a knock on the door, Marco's voice coming through. He asked to come in, and the captain said he could. The minute he walked in, Ace left, saying he was going to shower. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and went to his room to make it look like he was going to shower.

He was embarrassed. Marco seemed to have only gushed to Thatch and probably Whitebeard, but it was still embarrassing. And he didn't want them to expect so much from him when he was leaving. Did they not understand that?

When he looked at the bed, he remembered Marco comforting him there. He smiled softly, so grateful for that night. He sat down, not taking a shower, and then flopped onto his back. But there was nothing to do in there, and he was irritated with his thoughts. His heart was beating really quickly.

He thought he had a crush on Marco. It was a weakness, he couldn't let it show. Ace didn't want to blow things. But he thought Marco would be fine with him if he _did_ have a crush, and they'd both move on. He got off of the bed and was glad he usually was perfectly dry after taking a shower, and left the room.

He ran into Jozu, but kept walking. Neither said a thing, and neither exchanged glances. Ace walked outside onto the deck to go to his usual spot to watch the sea. Sometimes he watched for any water dragons, but they stayed far below the surface, unlike Ace, who sometimes was so close to the surface that his back was in the air. He only did that when nobody was around to see him, of course.

On the opposite end of the ship, Ace watched the Whitebeards crowd in one spot, and Ace smelled an unfamiliar scent. Probably the subordinate captain. Ace sighed, not really wanting to leave his place, as it was calming his stupid heart. But he didn't want to be exposed. So, he walked inside with an irritated huff.

Marco was heading outside, with Whitebeard behind him. They no doubt sensed the fishman captain with haki, not scent like Ace. Marco took him aside, not touching him, not grabbing him, and asked if he was alright. Ace nodded, able to suppress the blush enough that he thought it wasn't noticeable.

But the first mate saw through it. He gently touched his forehead. Ace managed to not pull away at the surprising touch. "Are you okay? Your face is really hot. Are you sick?" he asked in concern. Ace shook his head, saying he felt fine. His voice wobbled just a bit, and Marco frowned. But he seemed to sense Ace was uncomfortable, and nodded. "Make sure you don't go outside for now, okay?"

Ace nodded, and headed deeper into the ship, wanting his crew. But he didn't want to tell them. They could let something slip. So, he opted for telling somebody else. He went into the shared bedroom and pulled out Sabo's den den from the drawer of his night stand. He deliberated, knowing Sabo might think he was stupid for calling _him_.

But, he wanted to talk to his brother. Even if it was about something stupid and random. He just wanted to talk to Sabo. He hadn't since discovering him. But he had accepted the new reality, and was happy now. Thanks to Marco. He blushed and huffed before calming himself and calling Sabo. He answered almost immediately.

-x-

Marco was troubled about Ace. He was acting weird. Uncomfortable. There had been nothing that should make him ashamed or embarrassed. And he didn't even know Ace could be embarrassed enough to turn red. Angry, sure. Ashamed, yes. But not embarrassed. At least, not in this way.

But he couldn't think of it too long when he had to greet Karma. He wasn't the fondest of him, but he was part of the extended crew. And Marco appreciated their help if they needed it. If the Moby Dick was in trouble, he knew they'd come. They'd all come. When the octopus fishman came aboard, Marco could tell he didn't smell Ace.

There was no strange look, surprised or suspicious. So, if Ace stayed inside, things should be okay. The subordinate crews rarely entered the Moby Dick, since Whitebeard spent most of his time outside in his chair. His throne, more like it. Karma was just there to say hi, there was no important event. He was just in the area and wanted to say hello.

Thatch came out of the ship with a glass of one of his many colorful drinks. He handed it to Karma, who took it with a grin and drank it. "Wow, that's good. What's in it?" Karama asked, downing the whole thing. Thatch looked proud.

He replied, "It's just mashed fruit with chopped up cane sugar and some honey drizzle on the top." Marco knew that was meant as a taste tester for Ace. All natural ingredients meant it was for Ace. Karma commented on that. "Trying new things," he replied with a shrug. While he couldn't lie to save his life, Thatch was an expert when it was to protect somebody he cared about. And Ace fit in that role.

Pops talked with the other captain for a while, not once mentioning either Ace or Teach. And it didn't come up because the man didn't smell him like Namur had. Maybe it was that sharks have a better sense of smell? He didn't know too much about octopuses, so he couldn't say one way or the other.

Marco did go inside, and went to his room to get something. He sensed Ace in the bedroom next to his. He was passing the door when he heard, "It's not funny, asshole! I don't like it!"

" _I think it's adorable."_

"I'm going to hang up on you." Marco assumed it was Sabo, his brother, he was talking to. He didn't linger because he wasn't one to eavesdrop, and got what he wanted and then left, passing by another shouting of Ace that was again, an insult to his brother. But Marco knew he didn't mean it.

He smiled, happy for Ace.

For the rest of the day, Ace did a valiant job to hide his awkwardness with Marco. It kind of made him upset, worried that he had done something wrong. But, though Ace hid it well to the others, masking it with annoyance, he was still embarrassed. Only around Marco it seemed, though he did react to Thatch, too.

But that was in anger. Thatch had done or said something, it hadn't been Marco. So, after dinner and after Ace had left the galley, Marco cornered his brother. "Spill it. What did you say to Ace to make him act like this?" Thatch whistled, and then said he didn't do anything. "Liar, what did you say? He's embarrassed about whatever you did, _still."_

Thatch snickered. "All I told him was that you had a very good opinion of him after the beach. I may have said you gushed all about him to everybody and wanted to see him act like that again. I didn't know he'd react like this. It's so cute, aww." Marco glared at him.

"Are you trying to mess with his feelings?" the blonde asked in anger. "You know he would hate being embarrassed. His pride would be wounded, probably is. And I don't like that it made him embarrassed with _me_ when you were the one to bring it up."

The chef sighed dramatically. "I was just saying something I thought he'd want to hear." Marco didn't believe that. "Maybe he liikkkees you~."

"Or maybe he's ashamed he opened up to me that night and now is embarrassed to even be around me!" Marco replied angrily. Thatch told him to accept his own feelings. "It's not like that," Marco said in irritation.

Thatch replied, "Who do you smile around more than me? Hmm? Who do you go to to comfort him, try to make him happy? Who do you go to to stay up late all night just to make him feel better? Who wants him to stay the most out of all of us? Hmm?"

Marco didn't know what to say. He didn't like Ace like _that._ He didn't. He wanted him to stay as a little brother. He didn't have a crush on him. Even if he did, he wouldn't act on it. Ace might be thoroughly embarrassed or offended. Even if he could feel those feelings. It was possible the dragon side prevented that. He already had plenty of emotional changes due to being part dragon.

"Keep an open mind, Marco! You've been lonely too long," Thatch said as Marco walked away. He kept his back to Thatch but put up a middle finger. He knew sleeping would be hard. After a while of walking around and stewing in irritation about Thatch, he went to attempt to sleep. He saw Ace enter his room, and heard chatter from inside. All of them were getting ready for bed, too.

Then he thought about the words he'd heard from Ace's room, when Sabo was speaking with him.

" _It's not funny, asshole! I don't like it!"_

" _I think it's adorable."_

He didn't know what they'd been talking about, but it wasn't his business. He laid in bed after taking a shower, which he rarely did before bed. He had trouble sleeping before there was a knock on his door. He assumed it was Thatch at first, exhausted and his haki not the sharpest at the moment.

When he opened the door, Ace was there with a determined face on. A challenging face, and Marco had no idea why. He was sure he didn't do anything to upset him. He really hoped he hadn't. "Can I come in?" Ace asked. He didn't sound tired at all, even though it was 2:20 in the morning.

Marco nodded and opened the door wider, turning on the light and closing the door. "What's up?" he asked. He couldn't help but feel nervous, really not knowing what to expect.

"Would you be mad if I kissed you?" Marco's jaw dropped. "I'm having all these confusing feelings and I think doing that might either make them go away or make it worse, but I just decided to face it head-on and not walk around feeling embarrassed all day," he explained in a calm voice.

Marco had to admire his conviction. Doing this was very brave. "I… I mean, I don't know."

"You'll move on. I'll feel better," Ace said simply. Marco agreed hesitantly. Ace wasn't his brother yet, he was his friend. It wasn't wrong. They weren't blood related either, and some on the crew ended up in relationships with others. Ace strode to him and grabbed his face, smashing his lips against Marco's.

He really hadn't expected Ace to be so bold, but Marco didn't pull away. Ace backed up and said a "thank you" to Marco. Marco couldn't stop himself from taking Ace's hand and pulling him over to kiss him again, this time Marco being the one to initiate it. Ace seemed shocked, but responded, kissing him back.

Marco ran his hands up Ace's back, kissing him roughly. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know if it was the right thing, but all he wanted to do was kiss Ace. The person who had opened up to him completely, leaving himself emotionally vulnerable, trusting Marco to not make him feel worse when he was already feeling miserable.

Ace was not like anybody Marco had ever kissed before. And he'd kissed people before, he was not a young man. Ace was rough, clearly wanting to be the one dominating. It was so hot, just fueling Marco roughly kissing him back. Ace moved his lips to his neck and bit it, drawing flames. That was even hotter and Marco moved his face so he could do the same, also drawing flames. Their lips met again, and Ace clumsily tried adding some tongue that Marco took just fine. He knew Ace's lips would be swollen after this.

It continued for a good five minutes, just standing in the room, both of them wanting to be the one to lead. Marco wouldn't let him and Ace didn't give up trying. He had his arms around Marco's back, like he had around his. He gripped it so hard the shirt tore in his hands. Neither really noticed.

Ace was strong, even without his dragon powers. Marco felt like he could never break him, which was probably why he was going so damn rough. Finally they pulled away, both of them red in the face. "That was nice," Ace said, though he was out of breath.

Marco moved back to him and sucked on his neck. Ace let out a little moan that turned into a growl. Marco knew it wasn't a threat to him, but pulled away anyways. "You're a pretty good kisser. Kind of violent." But he wasn't upset. "At least I know I could never break you." Ace grinned in a cocky way, and Marco laughed at it.

Ace abruptly left, but he had a wide grin on, his face red and lips very swollen. "A secret?" Ace asked at the door.

"Do you want it to be?" Marco asked. "We're already keeping a huge secret, why not one more?" Ace snickered and said it was a plan.

"This should be fun. Let's see who slips first," he said, and then left. Marco heard a very quiet giggle and then his door shut. Marco closed his bedroom door. He walked to his bed in a daze, picking up the destroyed sleep shirt on his way. He just kissed a dragon. And a guy 20 years younger than him.

But, they were pirates, Ace was an adult, and he was clearly fine with it. Marco went to bed with a grin on. Ace was right. This would be fun. He knew everyone would find out eventually, but wondered how long they could keep it a secret. He still didn't know who was in charge of that kiss.

He slept easy despite what just happened. When he woke up, he didn't feel an ounce of regret. Just a wave of excitement of the challenge. And happiness that he had been allowed to touch him like that, so rough. He hadn't minded it at all.

Damn Thatch. But he was thankful. He would just never say so. He would be embarrassed to go back on his word, and they were keeping it from him regardless. Marco didn't need his captain's permission for this. Ace wasn't part of the crew. He might not be in many weeks from then. Well, Marco was fairly confident that they could get Ace to stay.

Make him feel welcomed and loved and cherished. So far, their second chance was going well. He just hoped it'd stay that way. And if somebody messed up, it wasn't a tipping point. Like Ace knowing Izo hadn't given up. He hadn't wanted to leave, he just did his best to take care of the isolated incident, refusing to ever be friends with Izo.

He got dressed and left his room. Ace's door was closed and he could tell there were many sleeping people inside.

* * *

**We have arrived at the romance! Zero smut in this btw. See you next week!**


End file.
